New Marauders
by FaeVictoria713
Summary: Abigale Mondragon, a muggleborn Gryffindor, Harper Parrish, a half bood Slytherin, and Melinda Browning, a pure blood Ravenclaw, were known amongst the oldest and most gossipy proffesors at Hogwarts as the New Marauders; and though they didn't know what the nickname intailed, they did it justice from the very first moment they got together. A love letter to my friends. Mostly OC.
1. Prologue (At the Door)

Prologue

Abby felt almost as excited as she'd felt on her first day at Hogwarts. She took a breath that was meant to be calming but came out loud and shaky. She was not the only one trembling with excitement. The door in front of the three friends seemed to be the conclusion of years of exploring, the last secret to unveiled in this castle, and now that they were on the edge of graduating maybe their last adventure together. The door was deep black, with no markings other than the ones they had already deciphered, the symbol of each of the four houses in a circle, surrounded by sigils of mysterious magic, and below, a thick black iron handle. It was not much taller or wider than the doors of regular classrooms, but a confusing energy that emanated from it made it ominous, powerful, dark and certainly dangerous. Abby's hand slowly rose to the iron handle but before she wrapped her fingers on it a high pitched voice interrupted her.

"Wait!... Let me do one more dispelling magic spell before we…"

"No!" a unanimous shout from the other two girls cut Mel's voice short before she could continue.

"Mel, we made five of them already, the door is safe!" Abby whispered loudly and stopped before mouthing what she was really thinking: at least as safe as we're on this side of the door, Merlin knows what was waiting on the other side.

Abby turned around to face the door again, but she took too long to move her hand so she got interrupted again. This time by Harper's voice: "if you die…can I have your broom?"

"Thank you for your trust "friend", I love you too," Abby replied back.

"I'm just nervous okay? We've never dealt with this kind of magic before. Am I the only one?" Harper confessed.

The three young women looked at each other, none of them, not even Abby could hide the thick coat of fear they felt; but they laughed. The laugher was not full; it was more of a wave of giggling that cleared the tension in the air. They laughed because they couldn't hide anything from each other, they laughed because they've made it here, together, and they laughed because that's what they do.

"Sure Harper, you can get my broom. And Mel, you get all my movies."

"Yei" Mel squeaked.

Abby's joke getting them all back at ease.

The laughter finally subdued with a heavy creaking sound that brought all of their worries back. Surprisingly, they hadn't noticed a natural light flooding from the other side of the door through cracks that hadn't been there just an instant before; and given their current whereabouts would have to be magically induced. They stood in place, watching the door open itself just enough to be an invitation. Harper whispered "that's creepy." The rest nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Oh, pardon my manners. I didn't mean to frighten you, but I was getting curious about the laughter at my doorway." It was a woman's voice and it was sweet and light. With a nostalgic sigh she continued: "I haven't heard real laughter for so long…"

The marauders looked at each other, each to the others looking for the non-verbal agreement that they would do this together or not at all. After a whole round of nods, Abby grabbed the handle and pulled with very little success: the door was just too heavy. Without been asked to do it, they helped, once the six hands were ready, they pulled together and the door slowly gave way to their efforts. Inside there was a girl their age, a girl who was closer to a statue than a girl, a girl who had raven hair and translucent skin, a girl who looked like she hadn't moved in a terribly long time, a girl who only moved to give them the sweetest smile they've seen, a girl who by the state of the cell had been trapped in a secret tower in their magic school for more than fifty years.


	2. Chapter 1 (6 years before)

14

 _ **The universe belongs to the magical J. K. Rowling. The characters belong to my best friends and loved ones (though they gave me permission to play around) and the plot is mine.**_

 _ **Besides disclaimers, this is a love letter to the magic inside my friends, our relationship and everything I admire in you guys. And also to every one of us out there who got screwed up by Voldemort and therefore didn't get their Hogwarts letter.**_

 _ **If anyone else happens to read this, I would love constructive criticism, especially if you notice grammar or spelling mistakes or typos. I usually check many times but if you catch one let me know. And anything else you wish to comment me.**_

 _ **This is an adventure, hope on board and enjoy the ride.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 (The wand chooses the witch)**

Abigale Mondragon and her mother always had a loving but complicated relationship, which grew to be more complicated as soon as Abby received her Hogwarts letter because it only confirmed what she and her family had known all along: she was different. The real novelty was _how_ different. They had just discovered that she belong to a whole other world, which she was meant to become a part of sooner than she could process it, since classes at Hogwarts would began in scarce three weeks; which didn't left any of them enough time to adapt.

The letter got directly to the feet of young Abby's bed early on a summer Sunday morning. She opened it, read it four times and when she made sure she wasn't dreaming, she ran to her mother's room and shoved the second letter, the one that was directed to her, in her face. Elisa Mondragon, a beautiful woman who had become a mother sooner than she would've like to, had barely woken up when she had the paper an inch from her nose. Still groggy from her interrupted sleep, she grabbed her glasses from the night stand and read the most unusual text she had ever read. A person named Minerva McGonagall, who apparently was the Headmistress of a place called "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" informed her that her only child was a Witch, therefore she had powers that were to be appreciated, encouraged and cultivated at this particular school. She kept on going, mysteriously answering every question Abby's Mom had not yet uttered. As soon as she finished, she turned to look at her chubby little baby girl, her hazel eyes all wide and expecting, shinning with a sparkle that was not there yesterday, and deep inside she understood, and even more important, she believed.

When they went to talk to her Grandparents, they both had a similar experience; suddenly a lot of the strange circumstances that had followed Abby her whole life made sense. To the Mondragon family it seemed like a piece of a puzzle had finally found its rightful place, and though the matter of believing had been taken care of, and understanding was on its way, they were some issues ahead still, money for example.

The money exchange was a challenge by itself since muggleborns such as Abby, often lack the wealth and knowledge to handle sickles, galleons and knuts, but Headmistress McGonagall and the Ministry of Magic's modern administration had seen to that a few years before when they had established a kind of scholarship for the students new to the Wizarding World; which would provide them with enough money to buy their first tools as wizards and witches; including a wand.

"Ollivander's is the place to go", had said the grumpy looking goblin Abby asked on their way out of Gringotts, pulling her mother away from touching everything out of curiosity, including the goblin's head, and get them banned from the bank all together. Though Abby couldn't fathom how big an institution Gringotts was, she did not wish to be banned from the one place that would provide her with money for her studies.

They walked through the crowds of the Diagon Alley, both watching every detail with wonder and a bit of fear. Her mother sometimes commented on the strange robes and hats in Spanish in a failed attempt at discretion, but she did it loudly enough for anyone to listen.

"You know they're people here from all around the world, right? Someone could understand what you're saying," Abby reprimanded with her young yet strong voice, keeping her eyes open in search for the sign of Mr. Ollivander's shop.

"We'd have to be in very bad luck. You don't find it weird? How they dress? And every object moving by itself?" her Mom answered.

"Well, yes, maybe a little, but it's also….kinda great." With a soft whisper that was not intended for her mother to hear, she added "….and I am one of them." That was the hardest part for her to believe; she had no problem believing in magic, or a hidden world where people were free to use it; yet she herself having magic of her own was beyond her comprehension. All her life everyone had told her she was different, weird, a freak, but not special, not unique; and then the letter came and something inside her told her things were going to be different now.

The weight of insecurities and doubts lifted from her shoulders when her Mom pointed at a building with square tainted windows that had the exact sign they were looking for.

They got inside the poorly illuminated shop, and stopped to absorb their surroundings: walls of thin rectangular boxes wherever their eyes went, and a thick smell of wood mixed with something else made Abby dizzy and excited. She was the first to walk around, being closely followed by her mother who was suddenly intimidated by the energy every little box seemed to emanate. Abby skimmed everything with her short fingers without actually touching, while her mother who was usually proud and a bit aggressive stayed glued to her back. A minute later a soft older voice interrupted their perusing.

"Hello there, Miss. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, hello…amh…I am in need of a wand…for magic. You see, I'm going to Hogwarts and the list said I need one, and one of the goblins at Gringotts send us here, to look for Mr. Ollivander. Are you him?" Abby babbled as formally and politely as an eleven-year-old could.

The old man smiled at the young girl's rambling and nodded, giving her the confidence to take a few steps forward.

"So…ammh…Mr. Ollivander, could you help me, please?"

"I'd be glad to, my child. First, we need to do some tests, to see what type of wand would work better with you." Just before the grey haired man gave his back to them, he glanced at Abby's almond hazel eyes that gleamed with enthusiasm and curiosity. He did a quick scan of the rest of her, leaving her feeling self-conscious about her blue jeans, red Wonder Woman t-shirt and black sweatshirt. She wondered if her outfit or whatever else he may be scanning for about her was a giveaway that she didn't belong here, _at least not yet_ , she thought. But the look behind his matching grey eyes didn't seem judgmental; he seemed sincerely glad she was there, almost like he had been waiting for her.

He turned around for a few minutes, he inspected a few options while he mumbled something Abby couldn't hear, but sounded like he was talking to the contents of the boxes. Mr. Ollivander brought back four boxes of different colors and laid them on the counter in front of her.

After a pause she asked, "What should I do?"

"Choose one box; the first one that catches your eye."

Abby regarded them carefully, her gaze going straight to a dusty blue box which time had erased all the specifics from except Ollivander's logo. It was mysterious and her fingers prickled to open it, but compared with the other three that were clearly newer, she became afraid of making a mistake. She felt as if this one was one of the tests she'll have to go through to prove she belong in this world. She didn't want to get to her first day of school bringing a forgotten wand that must had had something wrong about it to have spent so much time waiting to be chosen. So instead, she put her fingers on the golden box next to it.

Mr. Ollivander opened it, pulled out a simple, fine and delicate wooden piece and presented it to her. She took it and…..nothing happened. With a glance she asked the kind old man what she should do next, and with a hand gesture he invited her to move it. She did, and almost an entire shelf of wands fell next to her mother's feet.

"It's that what's supposed to happen?" Mrs. Mondragon asked.

The man giggled a deep airy laughter, then took out a wand hidden somewhere in his clothes, flip it and made the shelf go back to its former place. He opened the golden box again, and Abby placed the wand back. "No Madame, we will know when a wand has chosen your daughter."

"Ammh…sorry did you say a wand must choose me? I thought I was the one going through the election process."

"It's a little bit of both, my dear. A witch or wizard can have affinity with more than one wand, but…the right one will choose its owner because it will sense how their powers can feed from each other. Now…try...this one." He handed her a darker wand, longer than the first one, it had circles inside other tiny circles scattered along the deep brown wood. It was pretty, she liked it immediately.

Abby hold it, weighted and inspected it further while she listened to Mr. Ollivander's explanation. "Blackthorn, 12 inches, unicorn hair core; a faithful one, a wand waiting for a warrior, someone who's not afraid of defending what she believes in; give it a twirl if you feel like it."

So she did, and smoke came out of its tip. It smelled like cookies at first, and excitement flushed her face, but then the smoke became thicker and the smell turned heavy, like something had been burned. She put it back in the box with one swift movement at the sound of her mother's coughing.

"I don't think that's it for me," Abby showed her disappointment.

"Me neither. Though we're getting closer, perhaps this one." He opened a green box. Inside there was a black wand, slightly crooked at the handle part, it seemed almost unfinished except for the light gloss that covered the entire piece. It was weird looking to Abby, but she didn't mind it. She repeated the process, paying attention to see if holding the crooked part would be uncomfortable for her tiny hands. It was, but not impossible to handle.

"13 inches long, ebony, dragon heartstring core, and rougher around the edges than it should be, but that's where its qualities lie. This wand was not meant for someone, let's say…ordinary. It is waiting for an outsider that is comfortable with being one."

Abby grabbed it a bit harder than it was necessary and flicked her wrist, making a few boxes fly all the way across the room. She tried it again, and send them crashing through the window. Abby's eyes were wide and she apologized thoroughly while Mr. Ollivander fixed the mess with very little effort. She was confused; she had meant to move something but was aiming for the stack of papers on the counter. She held it for a few more seconds but she made her own decision that it was not for her even before Mr. Ollivander shook his head. That had left them with the old box she felt compelled by from the very beginning.

The wise man removed the boxes and discarded wands from the counter, at the same time he slightly pushed the deep blue box towards her. Without the distraction of the other wands, Abby felt the energy from the forgotten wand had grown stronger; it had become so appealing that she found herself leaning so close to the box she could smell it. To her delight it smelled of old books, like her Grandfather's own library, and a cracking warm fire; she didn't remember the other wands smelling like anything at all. She pulled herself back and without a second thought, she let her curiosity reign over her movements: she opened the box and took the wand out of her black silk covering. The handle was an unusual mix of brown and red wood spheres of different sizes that built a third part of the tool; in an even more particular harmonic combination the rest of it was black wood, long and polished. It was longer than her own young face but had very little weight to it. She realized she could maneuver it with no effort, and to prove it she wisped it.

Nothing moved, exploded or burned, which Abby thought could be either good or bad news at this point. Suddenly she felt a fresh breeze removing her untamed chocolate curls from her face, but…..nothing else. Abby turned to her Mom, who had just gasped loudly enough to catch her attention. Her Mom had never opened her eyes wider than she had just now, not even when she nagged Abby. Then Abby looked at Mr. Ollivander, who didn't seemed faced, but instead wore a knowing if a bit smug smile that wrinkled his face and lighten his gaze. It was not until that moment, she noticed that she was no longer looking up at him, their eyes had leveled up. She looked down at her feet and saw her converse sneakers separated by a good ten inches from the ground. She was levitating; she was a step away from actually flying and warmth spread from her toes all the way to her grin. She laughed out loud and with her change of focus she stumbled to the floor. Her feet were back in the ground and her bum hurt a little from the fall but that didn't stop her joyous laugh, which was soon met by Mr. Ollivander's own, while Mrs. Mondragon stared at both of them with an incredulous but shy smile, and quickly helped her child to a stand up position.

"You'll eventually learn how to land. But that is a remarkable ability, young lady. I believe you'll be a great match."

"Is it this one then?!" Abby knew the answer, but validation was important for her.

He raised an eyebrow, "What do you think?"

Abby grabbed the wand from the floor and hold it between her fingers still feeling a tingle coming from it. She nodded with excitement.

"And a very interesting ally you've been teamed up with. This one has been waiting for a good thirty years now, for a master of their instincts, someone with a unique perspective of the world. Take good care of her and she'll be forever faithful to you."

The little girl looked at him with the determination of someone who had been given a precious instrument. She watched him put it back in its box with care and a respect she hadn't observed with the other wands. They paid the good man, thank him deeply and Abby walked back into the Diagon's crowd with all the possibilities gleaming in her eyes.

* * *

Abigale walked into the Hogwarts express doing the best to dry the tears from her eyes, while at the same time dragging her chest and suitcase through the small corridor, and still waving goodbye to her family, all without tripping.

She was overwhelmed by noise, all the laughter and yelling making the walls and doors vibrate. She couldn't be more excited but she tried to hide her immense smile for fear of creeping someone out. She sneaked in a few empty compartments, and knew that the easier choice was to sit down in any of them, enjoying the landscape and scanning her new books for the rest of the trip. That's what she would do usually during any school trip, but this was different, she couldn't wait to make new friends but she needed an ice-breaker, anything really that could help her start a conversation. She found just the thing almost at the tail of the train.

A few feet in front of her she noticed a girl in jeans and a purple hoodie carrying a backpack with a stamp that read "¡Viva México!" in huge colored letters. Abby followed her hunch, run down the hall and opened almost too harshly the door that the girl had just closed behind her.

"Are you Mexican?" she shouted at the girl's back.

"Amh..yes…" the startled girl answered.

In that split second Abby decided she had found her first friend, so she got into the compartment and dropped herself right in front of her new friend after dropping her own baggage to the floor.

"Oh, good! That's so good! I thought I was going to be the only Latina in the whole school, with most of us being sent to Ilvermorny and all…."

"Are you Mexican too?" her acquaintance asked shyly.

"Yes! Well, almost. My Mom and Grandparents are and they raised me, so I'm practically Mexican, though I was born in England. I cannot tell you how relieved I am for not being the only person here who knows what a real tortilla is! Ha ha! I'm sorry. I'm so rude, My name is Abigale Mondragon." She offered her hand and the other girl took it and shook it. Abby let herself relax the moment she noticed the girl was smiling back at her.

"I'm Jade Mandrake, nice to meet you."

* * *

Abby let her jaw dropped and swallowed a sincere tear of wonder at the sight of Hogwarts from the tiny boat she shared with Jade and two other kids. The castle was the stuff of dreams for its high towers and grey stone. Abby remembered the story of King Arthur finding the Magic Isle of Avalon at the end of his life, and she wondered if he had felt this way, if this was her Avalon. She turned to see her companion's faces and yes they were lighted by wonder too.

As soon as she got down from the boat, her first wish was to run to the entrance but pulled back for fear of looking to eager. When the group of children got to the main door they were led by what Abby could only assume was a giant (though he himself identified as a half-giant) to a huge door that opened with a massive sound that made every person inside to turn around and stare at them. Abby whose feet had taken her to be in the first row at first, tried to draw back and hide until she tripped with one of Hagrid's (the half-giant) legs.

She began to apologize but Hagrid did nothing but smile at her and pushed her back inside the great room when the rest of the children started to walk down the center aisle. She turned around and waved a shy goodbye to Hagrid. He waved back and Abby knew he was kind and she liked him.

A tall and slim older woman with the poise and posture Abby imagined a queen would have, gave them a warm welcome as the newest generation of the school. She introduced herself as Headmistress McGonagall and proceeded to put a very beaten looking pointy hat in a stool. Never in her life had Abby imagined that she would see and hear a hat talk, let alone sing its own song; but that was exactly what was happening. After it explained the house system and how the students were separated by personality traits and values, the Headmistress began to call each one of them to the stool to be sorted by the Sorting Hat.

"Which house do you want to get in?" Jade, her new friend who stood at her left, asked in a low voice.

"I don't know. I guess I wouldn't mind any of them; though I wouldn't love to be a snake because I'm really afraid of them," Abby responded.

After that, Abby started to really pay attention to her classmates. Some were evidently born from magical families, they didn't seem fazed or surprised at any of this, they just looked expectant, and in some cases arrogant and proud of the house they got.

"Melinda Browning."

A tallish girl with cinnamon skin and very long silky black hair bumped into Abby on her way up. She walked very straight but couldn't stop playing with her fingers. She sat and when McGonagall set the hat on her the weirdest thing seemed to happen. Abby saw the girl argued with the hat, she listed something with her fingers and listened to a response. Abby realized the girl was negotiating with the Hat and couldn't help but admire her, also wondering if she herself would have the guts to do that. Two minutes later she nodded and the Hat yelled "Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaw table clapped, cheered and hastily made space for her to sit with them; after she hugged an older girl who looked a little bit like her.

Half the group had already been sorted, with some kids' happiness, disappointment or even anger written in their faces. Abby, Jade and a few others, including a boy and a girl that bare very few physical similarities but you could tell they were brother and sister for the way they keep shoving and mocking each other; actually the girl was the one who kept picking and poking her brother while he tried to listen in for their names. Abby must have been staring because the brother, with longish dark brown hair, dark brown eyelashes and dark brown eyes looked up to her. She freaked and turned away; she made an effort to stop looking but still felt the boy's eyes on her. Abby hoped she hadn't unintentionally made an enemy.

"Jade Mandrake," Headmistress called.

Abby smiled at her friend and encouraged her to step up. Turns out, Jade's father was Mexican and she had only being living in England for four years. They didn't have lots in common but Jade laughed at Abby's awkward out-loud thoughts as if they were jokes, and Abby didn't mind Jade's thick accent at all, so they felt comfortable together. They both hoped they were sorted into the same house; a few seconds later, they found out it wouldn't happen.

"Slytherin!" shouted the Sorting Hat.

Jade smiled at the people at her table, and though they were some cheers, they were also some sneers which she quickly fought back with a powerful glare. Abby couldn't help but laugh, her friend was no one to mess up with. Jade heard her, grinned and shrug at her before taking her spot at the long wooden table. The young witch got distracted following the new Slytherin, so she took a second to respond to her own name being called.

"Abigale Mondragon!"

The world slow down, maybe there was a deafening silence, maybe it was all in her head, but she could only hear her own heart beat accelerating. She prayed to no-one in particular for not tripping and falling, but no-one in particular seemed to be occupied at the moment: on the last step she trod on her own black robe and gravity send her face first. She threw a hand to stop herself and the other fell on the hat itself. She bounced back up as quickly as she could, but she caught some giggles and whispers from the crowd. _This is not a good entrance_ , she thought

"Pay no mind, young witch, they will forget soon enough." The voice came from her left hand where the brim of the Sorting Hat was crumpled in her fist.

"Oh! So sorry!" Abby put the hat on herself and hopped on the stool.

"Mondragon, are you okay?" McGonagall asked. Abby nodded: "Yes. Fine. Thank you."

The Hat's baritone voice had more sweetness than solemnity, for which Abby was very grateful. "Now let's see…mmmh, interesting. You are clever indeed; resourceful, and have a knack for learning. You could be a good Ravenclaw; though you don't quite appreciate logic and rationality as much. Maybe Hufflepuff, for I sense loyalty and kindness in you; yet not so selfless or patient. Slytherin might do you well, no power greed, but there's determination and ambition." Abby was getting more nervous with each examination. She felt as if the Hat could read her mind, all she is and all she is not. Her fear of getting all the way there, for the Hat to declare she is nothing special and should be return to the muggle world at once, kept her head buzzing. "Humm, no, you shouldn't worry about that, there's plenty of magic in you. Perhaps you'd feel at home amongst Gryffindors, since you are as impulsive, passionate and brave as any one of them. It may come as a challenge though, for someone so unsure of themselves, but I think you are up to the task." It took a breath, and proclaimed "Gryffindor!"

Abby breathed a sigh of relief; whatever being a Gryffindor meant, she was grateful for belonging anywhere. Then she heard clapping and someone shouting her last name, and she couldn't understand where or why but most of the Gryffindor table were making noise for her. Somehow these strangers were grateful for her, and her heart swelled with this idea. McGonagall nodded a simple smile and lifted the Hat from her head. Before hurrying up to her new spot at the Lions Table, she turned around and said "Thank you" to the greatest magical item she'd met so far.

"Harper Parrish" was the next name after her. The poking girl separated from her brother, glanced at the brown eyed boy who nodded, inspiring her to step forward. This selection took longer than everyone would imagined, Abby could tell by the slight tension building up in the air. The girl herself didn't look too preoccupied she just looked from the outer left table, the Slytherins, to the outer right table, the Hufflepuffs. The girl just nodded and shook with her round face, round eyes and easy smile. _She looks fun to be around_ , Abby thought. _I hope I get to meet her_.

"Slytherin!"

The Snakes table roared, being more welcoming towards this smiley girl than to most of their new additions.

"They must be happy to have diplomat's daughter with them," the short boy with very dark hair and a long nose sitting to Abby's left commented out loud.

"Why would it matter?" Abby asked.

The boy shrugged, "It's the kind of thing that matters to them. I'm Dylan, by the way;" he presented his right hand, and Abby was happy to take it.

"Abigale, or Abby actually."

"Nice to meet you, and welcome to Gryffindor."

"Likewise."

"Oh wait, they're sorting the brother. Chances are he'll be a Slytherin too. Siblings usually get sorted together."

"Nicholas Parrish" called Headmistress McGonagall.

The tallish lanky boy who had stared at her in the entrance, walked up to the stool and ceremoniously got the hat set on his head. Abby noticed he was one of the most anxious new students. You could read the dread in his face; Abby raised her eyebrows with a thought: _he might even be more nervous than me_.

The Sorting Hat didn't take as long as with his sister though, because scarce fifteen seconds after, he declared "Hufflepuff!" The kid's features relaxed; his thick black eyebrows were not bunched in the center with a frown anymore while he walked to his table. The Badgers clapped and cheered at least as much as the Slytherins did, yet somehow the badgers seemed more sincere while doing so. They even raised their wands to throw magical yellow sparks into the air, being that the first spell by a student Abby would witness.

A good twenty minutes later, Abby was too hungry to pay attention; in fact her stomach growled loud enough for Dylan and other two girls sitting in front of them to hear. They all laughed and, because she didn't feel bullied or mocked at, she laughed with them.

"Same." Charlotte, one of the new girls, taller than most, with an unruly copper mane, joked.

"My Dad told me that food just appears in your plate, any kind of food. I can't wait" Cerixa said. She was also new, had freckles all over her nose and brown eyes that reminded Abby of a cartoon. Her father had assisted Hogwarts too, and she was proud to be a Gryffindor like him.

"I'm loving this place already," Abby said.

Finally, the last student got called: "Olivia Selwyn."

The girl walked with her pale nose leading the way, like she was too good to see the floor she was standing on. Abby was truly impressed she got to the stool without looking where she was going. The Hat sorted her as Slytherin in less than thirty seconds; only then her face changed to smug, as if this was just confirming what she already knew about herself. _Must be nice, to be so self-assured_ ; Abby thought.

Cerixa gossiped "She's a Selwyn, one of the sacred twenty-eight."

"What are the sacred twenty-eight?" Abby asked.

"They're supposed to be the only families with pure magical blood going back centuries. No one believes they are anything special anymore, especially after the war. But some still use it as an excuse to be elitists." Dylan explained.

"Sounds stupid," Abby replied. She had a million questions to ask starting with: _what war?_ But she reigned herself and figured she would learn in time.

"It is, but you know how people are," Charlotte said. "Nowadays, nobody cares if you're pure-blood, muggle-born or half-blood. If you have magic, you're in the club;" Abby felt a little bit like Charlotte was talking specifically to her with that comment, and became somehow grateful to her for calming her doubts, even if she didn't know that she was doing it.

But she still pondered on what the Hat told her, about being unsure of herself but being up to the task. _What task? Do I have to proof I belong in Gryffindor, even though I'm already one of them? Do I deserve to be here?_ she wondered. When the best smelling banquet in the world appeared in the middle of the table, she decided she would keep those doubts for another moment.

* * *

At the end of one of the best meals she'd ever had, the drowsiness settled in and neither Abby nor the rest of the new Gryffindors wanted much more than to learn where they would be sleeping from now on. Their wish came true pretty soon. Gryffndor's two prefects came to lead them to their tower. Before she went up the first stairs, she ran to the Slytherin table to talk to Jade.

"Hey! I'm sad that we're not in the same house, but they told me we've got classes together. So I'll see you around, okay?"

"I know, but we can have breakfast tomorrow. The food here is really good." Jade answered.

The pure-blood girl with her perfectly blonde ripples growled at them.

"What's her problem?" Abby frowned.

"Agh, ignore her. I've known her for an hour and I already know she's full of herself;" Jade rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"Slytherins this way!" a tall also blonde wizard shouted.

"Go, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye" Abby waved her friend good night and ran to catch up with her group.

* * *

Abby loved every part of her dorm, from the cozy always warm common room, filled with fuzzy coaches and chairs, everything painted by their House colors: scarlet and gold; to her actual room, which had the most wonderful view if the hills and the lake she could dream of. She would be sharing with Charlotte, Cerixa and another girl, who seemed nice but a little bit shy. Cerixa wasn't too excited about sharing a room but Abby didn't mind: she was an only child, back home she spend most of her time around adults and didn't have many friends for being "weird". She learned to entertain herself from a very young age, but as much as she enjoyed her alone time for reading and dreaming, she felt this was a chance to live like she had sisters; _if everything turns out alright that is._

She unpacked her baggage into the chest at the foot of her bed, taking special care of the few books and photos she had brought. When they all got ready for bed, the fire dialed itself down into a homely heat. Abby took her wand, and set it under her pillow. She felt comforted by its texture and couldn't wait to properly use it. She could barely sleep, but when sleep finally found her she dreamt of adventures and friends and magic. She dreamt of the future. And with a glowing heart she started her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

 **And so the journey begins...**


	3. Chapter 2 (5 years before)

**Sorry for taking so long. Slow but sure. I promise.**

 **This was suppose to include a bit more but it was already too long so I decided to divide this chapter in too.**

 **He's part one.**

 **Follow, Review and most of all Enjoy!**

* * *

Even though Abby made good on her promise to write home every single week, the moment her Mom and Grandparents picked her up from the train back at King's Cross Station, her Mother asked "So…how was your first year?!"

Abby left the carrying of her baggage to her family, after hugging them tightly while answering: "Amazing! Brilliant! Truly magical, just a little bit…."

"What?" Mrs. Mondragon pushed.

"Well…difficult…."

"Difficult? How so? Did someone make it difficult? Should I write the Headmistress? Because you know I will if you need me to…"

"No! No, it wasn't someone at all. It was like…..I was new to everything and it's just a lot to get use to. But please don't write to McGonagall. It's really not necessary. It's a matter of time; promise." She interrupted the wiser woman, who could perceive there was something her daughter was hiding, but decided against more interrogation. _She'll tell me when she's ready._

"In that case let's eat at home. Your Granma made your favorites. By the way, what kind of food they gave you there?" Abby was grateful her mother dropped the subject, though she knew there was more to come.

"Not much. Look at how skinny she is!" Granma shouted a few steps behind. And she was even more grateful for the delicious Mexican cuisine coming her way.

* * *

In the next days, Mrs. Mondragon noticed a slight change in her little witch, a bashfulness that wasn't there before. Abby didn't use to be shy in front of people; in fact she was a very talkative kid who never held up on any questions or comments that popped into her mind. She was fearless, shameless. As a mother, she wished for those qualities to bloom, but they were slightly fading away. Elisa Mondragon pushed, shoved and asked but her daughter would excuse her behavior without candor, until they both got upset and had to take some distance.

What Abby wasn't ready to explain to her Mom was that she was deadly afraid of not being magical enough to continue in Hogwarts and that all the wonder and magic she'd discovered would be lost to her forever. She was painfully aware of what happens to students who get expelled from Hogwarts.

What 'difficult' truly meant was not that Abby was devoided of magic, but that she was having a hard time controlling it. She could understand the mechanics, the movements, the theory of magic; but every time one of the teachers asked her to do a spell in front of the class, either nothing would happen (the better times) or something would go wrong, sometimes very wrong (the worst times).

She still had nightmares about her first week in Incantations Class when she invoked a ball of fire after being called down to show the posture necessary to perform a simple 'Lumos' spell. It was her first "accident" but after the third and fourth of those, her insecurities started to reign over her mind and of course, her power.

This also happened to be how she gained Olivia Selwyn's hate after setting her hair on fire in a failed attempted at a controlled "Incendio". Abby apologized profusely when Flitwick saved what was left of her previously perfect blonde curls, but it was too late. The young Gryffindor had never felt hatred thrown at her before, until she saw Olivia's blue eyes glaring as she slowly turned around to see Abby's wand raised. Despite weeks passing and the quick recovery of her beautiful hair, mostly thanks to a very expensive Beauty Potion; the Slytherin youngster seemed to have marked Abby down for the hunt.

Olivia and her squad would disappear her books, curse her with slippery shoes, lock her in the brooms closets, convince Peeves to throw slime at her and tame pixies to pull on her clothes and hair; always accompanying their tricks with cruel mockery mostly based on her olive skin, frizzy curly hair or chubby and short complexion; sometimes they digressed into her "non-magical" blood.

The classes she took with them were especially hard to sail but even in those were they weren't there, she could hear her voices and laughter, while feeling the prickle on her skin with the heavy eyes of her classmates.

Despite all of the bullying she couldn't bring herself to confront them because she felt she was at a disadvantage against what she understood as the popular opinion of her magical peers. She had to admit, though, that her year was filled with good moments too. She had her Gryffindor friends, who were sweet and fun and always made her laugh. She had Jade, who would defend her as only Jade could: making fun of Olivia and the rest of her snake band, which improve Abby's mood every time.

And luckily for her, not everything about magic involved the use of a wand and a proper emission of latin. She proudly told her Mom about the subjects in which she was excelling at. Her hunger for knowledge of the Wizarding World she was now a part of, made her devour any book and attack any homework in "History of Magic"; and she found herself marveling at everything Ghost Professor Binns said despite his terribly monotonic voice.

She had turn into one of Mathilda Wormwood's favorites after she and her Potions partner, the very brainy and awkward Ravenclaw Vincent Avery (who she got used to call Vinny, despite all of his complaints; turning them into unlikely friends), delivered the best Cure for Boils and Herbicide Potion of their year. Astronomy and Herbology were a breeze, and her essays for Defense Against the Dark Arts were on the top of her class; anything written bare no problem for her, the issue seemed to be practical.

In her search for answers and a definitive solution, she went back to Ollivander's almost a year to the date after purchasing her wand.

* * *

Abby went into the store, and filled her lungs with the smell of wood and black tea. She felt the magic in the air prickling her fingers; only in here and Hogwarts she felt surrounded by it, almost as if she could touch it.

"Hello, young lady." The voice of the older wizard interrupted her wondering and she remembered her purpose.

"Oh! Hi Mr. Ollivander. I… I don't know if you remember me. I came here last year and got my wand from you."

She stepped forward to the counter and pull out her wand from her jacket. It was beautiful in its unusual combination of woods and colors; and had always felt light in her hand, that's why she was upset and nervous about asking the question because maybe, she thought ' _I'm not good enough for her.'_

The white haired man took one look at the wand and smiled at her. "Of course I remember: Black Walnut, 10 inches, slightly springy with a dragon heartstring at its core. It made you levitate if I remember correctly."

Abby smiled back. "Yes! that was me. I mean it is me….us…still." She tried to chuckle her awkwardness away.

After a pause Mr. Ollivander took the initiative: "How may I help you?"

The young witch met his eyes. "I don't wish to offend you or anything…but is it possible you had made a mistake in pairing me with this wand?" She left the wand in the counter; she had to admit it hurt being separated from it.

"My dear, I'm not offended at all. You're hardly the first one to come and ask a similar question. But, I'm curious, the last time I saw you, the connection between you and this wand was remarkable, what has change since then?"

"I thought we would be a great team but…there have been some incidents and…accidents." She started explaining timidly. A nod from the sweet man urged her to continue. "Sometimes I am trying to do something and the spell goes wrong or nothing happens. At first I thought I was just doing it wrong and asked the teachers for help and they made sure I got the movements and words right, and when I practice on my own it kinda work…sometimes, but in class just….nothing or…even worse. I already set someone's hair on fire and that got me in enough trouble, believe me. I just want to understand why and fix it."

Mr. Ollivander looked intently at Abby and her wand. He took it and examined it as if it was the first time he had seen it.

"Everything seems to be in order. Let me ask you something, my dear: when you've tried a spell did it cross your mind that you couldn't do it before reciting it?"

"Amh….yes, I guess, but doesn't that happens to everybody from time to time?" Abby felt herself blush slightly; he was the first one she had told that.

"Of course, but this goes a little bit beyond that I'm afraid. What you have here is black walnut, it is a handsome and uncommon wood which works best with someone with powerful instincts and good insight, but it does have a quirk that makes it even more special: it is attuned to inner conflict. You cannot lie to yourself using this wand. I believe your magic isn't working as it should because you doubt you can do what needs to be done. I gather you are new to the Wizarding World, correct?"

Abby felt like he had read her mind; she nodded slowly.

"I see; and I also know you are young and inexperienced. But this is a battle you'll encounter more than once. You have to find a way to trust in your own magic. Once you've find that, you'll have in your hands a most loyal and impressive tool. Does that help?"

"Yes, I think. It sounds hard, but I understand. Thank you, Mr. Ollivander. Sorry to bother you."

"It was no bother at all, Miss…?"

"Mondragon, Abbigale. But everyone calls me Abby."

"It was no bother at all, Miss Abby Mondragon. Whatever you need, you know where I am." His long fingers turned and offered the wand back to her with a flourished motion. She smiled before she took it and placed it back inside her coat. It felt good to not leave it behind.

The girl left the store with renewed hopes: _if the wand maker himself thinks that I got it, I must have it then, I just have to find it,_ she thought. She met her Mom at the only place Mrs. Mondragon claimed to fully understand in Diagon Alley: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

On her rush out, she didn't notice Mr. Ollivander taking out some paper and start writing a letter in a hurry.

* * *

Her first day of second year, went on a lot smoother than her first year, she already had friends, a house, and the familiarity of the castle itself hugged her with its warmth as soon as she entered. She didn't know the castle's map by heart yet; she even wondered if it was possible to know the castle's secrets at all, but she was eager to try; after all this was home now and the start of a new life.

The first day of class was a bit rougher than expected. Headmistress McGonagall, who must love to teach since she was still the Transfiguration professor, asked her to demonstrate how to turn a hat into a plate. She stood up, said the words and focused as hard as she could. The hat shook. Abby frowned and tightened her hand around her wand pointing at it. She visualized the texture, how the fabric would become hard ceramic, the eggshell color she imagined the plate would have; the hat levitated for a second….and turned into a cardboard eggshell hat. Not one of her most explosive attempts, but not a success either. Her classmates murmured and giggled. Olivia said something Abby was glad she couldn't hear and the classroom laughed at her….again. She swallowed her frustration and sat.

"Silence. This is a classroom and ought to be treated as such. Miss Selwyn, if you intent to be the class clown, I hope you'll get use to people laughing at your failures too." Olivia glared and pouted. But with that, McGonagall dismissed every whisper and continued with the lesson, dissecting the theoretical reasons why Abby had failed.

Jade, who became her desk partner since last year, patted her back and smile at her. "You'll get it next time." Abby's lips perked up just a tad, though both of them knew she wasn't feeling it.

At the end of class, Charlotte and Dylan came to comfort her too, as it was the routine by now.

"I didn't do it the first few times either." Dylan said.

"Hey! At least nothing caught fire this time" Charlotte said with some melody in her words.

Abby scoffed, "Yay me…"

One step away from leaving the classroom, McGonagall's unique voice: not harsh but not particularly sweet either, stopped them.

"Mondragon, a word please, alone."

They all glanced at Abby with confused looks, she shrugged and waved them goodbye. _This day went from rough to weird pretty fast._

Jade mouthed "Good luck," at the same time Charlotte mouthed "We'll save you pie."

Abby nodded and walked towards the desk with her eyes down, way too nervous to look up.

"Mondragon, I want to talk to you about your practical development in class." She opened a drawer and took out a letter.

Abby finally gazed up and felt the color drained from her face. _This is it…this is where she tells me I'm a terrible witch. She's going to ask me to pack and leave and she's going to take my wand….my beautiful wand….and break it. Just when I was getting a little bit better! And now I'll have to go back to muggle school, and I'll never know how to prepare Amortentia, or how to catch a sniffler, or how to break a curse, or how to curse, or know the castle's secrets or…_ "Mondragon, are you listening?!" McGonagall raised her voice, finally interrupting Abby's catastrophic spiral.

"Ammh….yes, Professor."

McGonagall's intense green eyes had not lost their power over the years. Abby wished she could appear dignified and calm but her weighted shoulders and constant mussing of her hands made her fear obvious.

"….no. Sorry." Abby corrected.

The older witch paused to measure her, looking for something that Abby was terrified she wouldn't find. When the Headmistress was satisfied with her observation she spoke. "I received a very curious letter a few days ago, from a common friend of us: Mr. Ollivander."

Abby tilted her head slightly. "I don't know if friend is…"

"He mentions you went to him to inquire about your wand and your own magic."

The girl nodded shyly.

"Mondragon, do you doubt your magic capabilities?"

Abby's face washed with vulnerability, and nodded again.

"Well that's absurd. Do you think I would make a mistake in choosing who would be attending Hogwarts?"

"No, I…don't, but maybe…I'm not what you hoped for." Abby felt her soul naked, she wanted to cry but knew better.

"Abbigale, you're a child, you're coming into your magic. The others may find it a tad easier but you are not any less magical than any of them." She stood up, tall and elegant as she was and walked outside the classroom. Abby followed her instinctively. The teacher went to the closest window from which the bright sky and beautiful landscape could be appreciated. Abby peaked through and marveled at the mountains, the clouds, the stone towers, breathing all of it in, loving it a little bit more.

"Do you see the main entrance, Abbigale?"

"It's beautiful."

"One of my duties as Headmistress is to renew the protective spells upon the school. Two of the most important ones are: the invisibility spell that cloaks us to the muggle eye and the entrance spell." She pointed at a sigil in the floor of the main entrance. "There are many ways of getting in the castle, but that one controls all of them. That symbol is the insurance that even if by chance a muggle would find themselves at our door, it would be physically impossible for them to enter the castle itself."

Abby's thoughts ran faster than she could ponder them. _I knew about the invisibility spell, but not the entrance one. What other spells are protecting the school? How much power would you need to cover so much territory? Is it just for the protection of the students and staff? What else is hidden inside these walls?_

"Do you know where I am going with this, Mondragon? If you were not a witch, the school wouldn't allow you to come in; let alone serve you as it does every other inhabitant. And as far as I know you haven't encountered any problems with it, have you?" McGonagall turned to her left to face the little witch directly.

"No, nothing at all. I understand what you are saying, but then why isn't my magic working how it's supposed to? I don't know what I'm doing wrong." She pleaded for an explanation, a theory, anything that would put her anxiety at bay.

The professor took another moment; in the pure sincerity of her plea, McGonagall had noticed that Abby wasn't nervous anymore; and that brought the hint of a smile.

"I believe you are thinking too much." She walked away from her, leaving Abby with a confused frown believing that was the end of their conversation.

"Mondragon, you haven't been dismissed. Follow me." The young witch came back to her senses and jogged after her. As soon as she felt the little one's presence back at her side; she proceeded: "Magic is in you, a part of you. That is the fact that your own insecurity is having trouble processing, I assume every time you are attempting an incantation, the doubt crosses your mind, doesn't it?"

Abby nodded emphatically, no longer ashamed but eager, following her through the halls and moving stairs. She figured where they were going wasn't as important as what she was saying, so Abby hang onto every word.

"Since you find difficult to consciously get rid of the doubt that clouds your mind, we must make you stop thinking at all."

"Professor…I don't understand…"

"That's why I brought you here." They had stopped. Abby hadn't noticed. Now they were in front of a huge door, almost as big as the one that lead to the Great Hall, Abby couldn't remembered seeing it before, but then again, she hadn't been so deep into the underground section of the school, either.

McGonagall pushed the doors; they opened with little to no effort. Two steps in a flash of yellow sparks grazed their heads and dissolved right outside.

"Finnigan! If that's the best aim you've got, I am truly worried for our team this year." The Headmistress reprimanded a tall black boy in Hufflepuff colors who blushed and tried to look anywhere but at her.

Abby stepped further into the room and the ball dropped instantly. This was the Duel Hall, the place where the Dueling Hogwarts Team trained for competitions both in and out of school. The team was carefully selected amongst the fourth-years and older in congress amongst McGonagall, Flitwick and Arthur Crouch, the most recent Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. It was said only the best witches and wizards would be selected for the team, and that if you got in and you had an interest in becoming an Auror or Curse Breaker, it was a given you'll be accepted. Of course Abby had day-dreamed of being selected, but her fantasies usually crumbled when she remembered how clumsy her practical magic was; despite all of that, she was beyond excited to be there.

The high ceiling was painted with moving clouds and sunshine, as if here, below the ground level you'd always have perfect weather. It had five dueling platforms. The main one, which was slightly higher up than the rest, was a rectangle at the center that started in one side of the room and ended close to the farther exit; it was colored deep blue with markings of stars, moons and other sigils. The other platforms where shorter rectangles painted brown and black with no markings, located in each corner, clearly meant for practicing.

"Finnigan!" The poor boy just rolled his eyes and sighed this time. "Why would you stop defending yourself! I told you! It's imperative to keep your guard up when… Oh! Headmistress!" The gnomish professor flipped his wand to sway his own personal stair in our direction. While Abby was fascinated by the contraption, he continued. "And….Miss Mondragon too? To what do we owe this visit?"

"Filius, if you don't have any inconvenience, I would like Mondragon to train here from now on." Abby's eyes widen to resemble an elf's, and she could do little more than blink while she went back and forth from McGonagall to Flitwick and back.

"But…Minerva, she's a second year and she hasn't shown a great aptitude for…"

"I have personally seen plenty of aptitude in her, and I am convinced this kind of training is what she needs to exploit her instincts. As for her age…I did not say she would become an official member of the team, unless in time she is invited to try out. But I do wish for you to treat her as any other of your trainees."

McGonagall's lies meant she believed in her; that stroke two cords in Abby's heart: the one that hoped and the one that feared.

"Well, don't you reckon it would be dangerous to her own safety….and others, to have someone as…inexperienced dueling?" Abby had never seen Flitwick any kind of nervous, he clearly wasn't used to confront authority. He tended to be calm and collected, being the head of the Ravenclaw house, it made sense; she would've laughed if she wasn't at the center of his inconformity. By now the rattling had quieted down and most of the students were watching this strange discussion. _Great…two humiliations in one day._

McGonagall negotiated, "I think the team is accustomed to far more dangerous situations just against each other. But if that will set your mind at ease…we'll have a demonstration."

Abby was no fool, she was smart and quick witted, most of the time, but the shock and absurdity of what the Professor had just said, slowed down her brain so much she was the last to fully understand what was about to happen.

Because the young witch didn't move, McGonagall gently ordered her to position herself in the main platform.

It wasn't especially tall, just a few feet off the ground, similar to a stage. Abby realized the actual duels had to have at least a tad of spectacle if there was a stage designed for them. While she dragged her way up, she was reminded of the Selection Ceremony last year, everything was there: the pounding of her heart being the loudest sound, the world slowing down, the air thickening making it hard to breathe, but she got there, and she didn't fell this time. She stood there and took her wand out, she was painfully aware of the weight of every stare so she tried to focused on the details of her wand to comfort her. Abby mentally listed every single spell she thought could be used in a duel, and tried to forget how unsuccessful all of them had been. _'It's been waiting for a master of their instincts,' Mr. Ollivander said. Please, let him be right. Merlin, please let them both be right._

"Filius, please choose an adversary." the headmistress had change her tone once more into a far more authoritarian one.

Professor Flitwick looked around. He had always been kind and patient with Abby, she knew he didn't want to harm her, but he may need to prove a point. He finally nodded to a blonde boy, not much older than her, one of the newest members of the club, she assumed _._ The boy had a longish dirty blonde mane, pale skin, freckles and no wish to be part of this by the way he kept looking down and slouching. _Wow, he looks even more nervous than I._

Once they were settled, both teachers nodded. The Slytherin clumsily bowed, then set his wand vertically in front of his face and let his arm fall to his side in a more fluid motion; Abby imitated him even more clumsily.

After a pause that had everyone exasperated, he launched a knockback jinx. Abby ducked. He tried a few times but Abby was a small and quick target, nevertheless he was gaining a bit of confidence and his attacks were stronger now. She soon realized she wouldn't get out of this one only by dodging every spell. She had to try something; anything. The witch thought, and spoke (the first thing that came to her mind) and this time the wand listened. "Incendio!"

Her opponent looked down. Nothing had happened; he grinned and readied his arm to attack again, he would've but a burning smell distracted him. The hem of his robe caught flames and he was so busy trying to put them out that he didn't hear the next charm she threw. "Wingardium Leviosa," Abby spoke louder this time. Now, his robe was not the only problem, for he was levitating above the ground. In his disorientation, he flayed his arms around and his wand fell out of his hand.

McGonagall called out "Mondragon wins!" A general gasp and murmurs flooded the room.

Only then Abby's consciousness kicked in. _I did it._ The tickling in her body, her own magic, hadn't boiled down yet, but another tickling replaced it; a smile wide and bright as her mouth would allow shone in her face. She broke into a silly victory dance that had very little to do with the fact that she had won against an actual member of the Duel Club, and everything to do with the fact that she had finally willed her own power. For the first time she felt like a Witch.

The Slytherin stood up; she hadn't remembered to put him down, so he fell unceremoniously. Abby watched him walking towards her with a serious and strong gaze. She swallowed, but avoided cringing.

He offered her a hand to shake. "Beginner's luck, but…well done."

She took it, she couldn't shake her smile yet so he shared it with him. "Thanks. I'm Abbigale, by the way."

"Bowen Bulstrode. I guess I'll see you." He stepped down, and she followed suit.

McGonagall and Flitwick waited for her at the foot of the stairs. The first had a twitch and a sparkle in her eye that could be interpreted as a grin; the second one had a frown but kind expression. Abby gathered they had come to an arrangement.

Professor Fliwick started. "Well Miss Mondragon, I am quite happy to see you do have aptitude. I've agree to take you in as a trainee here; however you are not an official member of the Duel Club, therefore you cannot be elected to be part of the tournaments in or out of school. I also reserved the right to take you out of any practice or exercise that I deemed too dangerous for you. Are we in agreement?" the question was directed at his superior instead of at Abby, but she answered it anyway. "Yes, sir, thank you."

"Thank you, Filius. Come with me Mondragon; we are not done yet." McGonagall exited the hall. Abby would've like to stay longer, maybe talk to Bowen a bit more but she knew better; plus, she figured she'd had time to meet everyone.

Once outside, and without losing pace McGonagall spoke. "I share your joy, Mondragon, and your success, but you must reflect on it if you care to repeat it next time. Describe what you thought and felt before conjuring."

"Ammh, at first I was too worried about his spells. Then I thought I needed to defend myself somehow. So I just did the first spell that came to me and….it worked" Abby couldn't help her giggles.

"Good, so you know now to focus better, instead of letting other thoughts pollute your purpose. While you were up there, did you doubt your power?"

"I didn't have much time to think… so…"

She didn't have to say it. McGonagall stopped, turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't thinking. I wanted it, and I didn't doubt I could do it." Abby stated. That was the answer as simple as it was; her own fear had paralyzed her.

"If you don't forget that, there's no reason your magic should fail you. I expect you to fully comprehend the trust I've placed on you by arranging your dueling training and the responsibilities you'll have. One of which would be to keep this arrangement a secret as best you can."

"I do and I will not disappoint you." Abby declared with as much clarity and determination as her young voice could utter. She wanted to hug her teacher, but she decided against it. McGonagall didn't seem like the warm and fuzzy kind. She guessed she wouldn't appreciate such familiarity. _Maybe someday,_ she thought.

"Now, you're dismissed." They had walked to the phoenix statue that acted as the guardian of the entrance to her office.

"Yes, Headmistress.….Could I ask you a question?" McGonagall looked interested so Abby continued: "How did you know I could do it?"

"I didn't know you could win. But I knew you could fight."

Abby gulped down. So many emotions but there was nothing more to say than "thank you."

In response, McGonagall just nodded and smiled solemnly.

The little witch ran off to her room with too much energy and happiness to slow down; and spend a sleepless but giddy night trying to cast every spell and conjuration she learned last year. She couldn't wait to demonstrate in class.

Abby would always remember this as the first day that changed her life forever, the second happening only two days later.

* * *

 _ **Look forward to the second part where the rest of our heroines finally meet.**_

 _ **The journey has just begun, and the adventures are right around the corner.**_


	4. Chapter 3 (5 years before)

**Sorry for the delay.**

 **Will keep working on it. Anyway, here it is. The gang is officially formed.  
**

 **Enjoy the ride. Review, Follow, Favorite, everything with love.**

 **Thank you!**

* * *

"Here it is. Ham and cheese. Sorry, I couldn't rescue a grilled cheese before they ran out." Charlotte handed Abby a sandwich wrapped in a napkin which she instantly began gorging down. Abby mumbled something that couldn't be understood with her mouth full; Charlotte assumed it was a variation of "cheers;" and sat down in her bed.

"I still don't get why you can't go down to the kitchens and ask for something like everyone else." Abby was no good at talking and eating at the same time, but she still tried to her friend's disgust, "by Merlin, chew first please."

After a few minutes Abby was able to answer. "I'm just so tired that all I want is to eat and go to bed. I don't have the strength to go all the way down and then all the way up. I would fall asleep on the stairs." She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her gray skirt before changing into her pajamas: red Mickey Mouse sweat pants and an extra-large shirt with Queen's logo, both with small holes in them. Her Mom had tried to convince her to take something more presentable to school but Abby felt more herself like this.

Her roommate changed to her usual shorts, Abby had learned the year before no matter what season it was Charlotte would always wear shorts to bed. "Wow, Flitwick's private tutoring is really kicking your ass, huh?"

"You've no idea." Abby sighed. "And it's just the second day."

"At least it's working."

"I know!" even laid down on her bed Abby couldn't help her lopsided grin. "It's finally working."

"I'm really happy for you. And for my hair, honestly I thought one of these days you were gonna set MY hair on fire." They both laughed, although it was a real concern for both of them. Charlotte smiled sharing Abby's relief. "But seeing how busy you are made me think that I have too much free time. I'm thinking of joining a club, what do you think?"

"That's brilliant, Charlie! You should. You're a great flier you could get into the Quidditch team! I'd be your personal cheerleader."

"As much as I'd love that, I already kinda asked Hooch and she said I'm not ready yet. She said waiting one more year would be best."

"Well…she thinks you can do it. You just have to find something else to do for one year."

"That's the problem. They're not many options for second years."

"What about the Choir? I've heard you sing and you're amazing."

Charlotte groaned.

"Come on! Do you really rather spend your evenings doing homework instead of something that you like with other people who like doing it too?"

Charlotte groaned louder.

"Listen, I'll go with you to the trials. If we both get in it'd be a wonderful break from the violence of…"

Charlotte alarmed made her sat up in her bed. "Violence?! What are you and Flitwick up to?!"

"Nothing! I meant tension, stress…you know. It'd be a great break from the stress of the tutoring. Flitwick is…tough. That's what I meant."

Although Charlotte frowned, she seemed satisfied with Abby's response. The taller witch flipped her wand, murmured "Nox" to turn off the one light they've kept on, and went back to bed before the rest of the roommates start complaining. "Okay, but you cannot back down on me."

"Promise."

* * *

To the surprise of many, the crowd who showed to join Hogwarts own Frog Choir was bigger than expected, that's why Flitwick had to spend more time than necessary with expanding spells than organizing the students.

To Gryffindors' joy they had both get in after the personal audition, but to their dismay they got separated by vocal register. And to Abby's very personal anguish, Olivia and her minions had been accepted too.

Abby didn't know many of the choir members but looking around amongst the girls in the Mezzo sopranos group she recognized a Slytherin girl from her year from the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Her straight copper brown hair had been cut slightly above her shoulders, but her heart shaped face and small but bright eyes, as well as her skinny complexion made her easy to recognize. Jade had spoken a little bit about her. They were acquaintances more than friends, but according to the only Slytherin she talked to; this girl had an easy smile and an easy-going temperament. Jade had noticed she wasn't arrogant or snob like many Slytherins, possibly because she was a half-blood, a fact she had learned to own. Because of that presentation card, Abby decided she admired her. And maybe that unconscious thought is what made her sat next to her, even if she couldn't recall her name.

They exchanged a small and cordial smile and waited for the professor.

Abby had never find Flitwick's voice lulling, not in Charms class and never in Duel Club; then again in none of those classes she stayed sited doing nothing but hearing him for such a long time. Suddenly her eyelids where too heavy; by the third time she nodded off, the girl to her left woke her up just in time to receive the sheet music. Abby giggled and whisper a "Thank you."

Flitwick took the podium. "I am very pleased with the turnout this year. I am proud to welcome our new members to the Frog Choir. We shall start with a classic: 'Something wicked this way comes.' Please keep a careful eye in your sheet music. The veterans will sing so you can listen a few times and then follow."

The paper in her hands had a staff but nothing else. She was confused but when the choir began, the note glowed and appeared at its proper time. She laughed out loud. "It's like karaoke!"

"Ha! But I don't think we'll be singing Michael Jackson or Madonna." The Slytherin girl chimed in.

"Those are the real classics. Are you muggle-born?" Abby's attention was solely in a possible friend. She'd learn there were not many muggle-borns in her year, so they weren't many people whom she had a lot in common.

"Half. My mom's a witch, my dad didn't know magic existed before her, corny but true. You?"

"Muggleborn and total karaoke geek, especially the classics."

"Nice. I'm Harper."

"SHHHH! Ladies may I bother you with your attention?!" Flitwick's demand interrupted their conversation.

Both of them murmured a barely audible "Sorry" and lowered their eyes with embarrassment. Everyone was looking at them, apparently they had been louder than they thought, especially to the taste of one Ravenclaw girl who glared at them and shook her head with disapproval.

After a pause, Abby who was too excited to have a friend who'd understand her dissolution at missing almost every single movie release of the year, kept talking.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Abigale. But Abby seems to be more popular"

"Glad you're not one of the freaks who calls everyone by their last names."

Abby chuckled too loud, and was shushed again by the steeling glare of the Ravenclaw girl wearing glasses. "I know. What's up with that?"

They both shrugged and giggle some more. Abby decided then and there she'd made a friend.

* * *

After one hour of going through the same song, and Flitwick shushing Abby and Harper's chat, everyone was getting restless; even the Ravenclaw, who Abby figured was _really_ into "Something Wicked this way comes" by the way she kept given them the eye.

Flitwick dried a bit of swept from his forehead with a handkerchief and called for a break. While he went to his office to get sheet music to practice a different song, they should stay inside the classroom, preferably quiet. Abby wondered if he had forgotten that all the students here where preteens or teenagers, or if it was his own wishful thinking. The oldest members were the first ones to go out to the hall. Charlotte waved Abby to let her know she'll be back in a bit. The majority of the students had decided to go stretch their legs, leaving behind very few people, including the new acquaintances, who preferred to stay put and keep fangirling about bad horror movies. Conversation was so easy between them Abby felt she could tell everything to this girl,

"The last time I went to London, I watched this zombie movie and the only thing I could think of was how everything would be so easily solved by wizards and witches." Abby commented.

"That is IF we would like to help the muggles."

"True. And then there wouldn't be a movie. So, besides bad scary ones, what other movies do you…"

"Aw, look guys. Isn't it cute? The weirdo has an actual friend." Abby would've recognized that shrilling condescending tone anywhere. Olivia was one of those girls who had developed fast and early. She was one of the tallest girls in their generation and, as she often liked to point out she had already the need for an actual bra. At twelve years old she made sure that everyone was well aware she was on her way to model for Witch's Heart.

Her two minions, whom as far as Abby was concern, didn't even had names, let alone personalities, usually stood close by and laughed on cue like creepy robots without making any other sound. Meanwhile Olivia enjoyed using her height against the short Abby who was still praying for her growing pains. She liked to stand very close to her so she could literally look down on her; just as she was doing when she rudely interrupted the talk.

Abby rolled her eyes and without giving the satisfaction of a glance she defended herself: "I do have friends, Olivia. They just don't like talking to you."

"Oh, you mean the loser Gryffindors? You got it wrong. They don't have a choice. They have to act like your friends because McGonagall forces them to. I mean, who would want to be around a fat mudblood who got into Hogwarts as charity."

 _That hurt_. As much as Abby tried to take the high road and ignore her, she couldn't help grinding her teeth. She consciously knew that's exactly what the mean girl wanted: to throw daggers at her feelings until she hit a soft spot.

"As usual; you are wrong Olivia." Harper stood up to stand next to Abby. "I am her friend and I'm proud of it." Abby's eyes brighten with surprise; she smiled and crossed her arms. Knowing she had Harper on her side, somehow made whatever Olivia had to say immediately inconsequential.

Olivia took her time to observe and scan Harper; _maybe wondering how she had dared to turn on a fellow Slytherin,_ Abby thought.

"Parrish…of course. It makes sense, you can probably smell the filth in her. It takes one to know one."

The last person Abby imagined would get involved spoke up in a clear but thin voice. "Actually Olivia, it has been proven that there is no difference in magic created from someone who has muggle ancestry and someone who doesn't. Your argument is not valid and I think you should leave them alone."

They all turned around towards the only person standing close to the Soprano section. Abby recognized the Ravenclaw girl from their year; the one who had been throwing darts with her eyes, and now was helping them out, for no apparent reason. _That's weird. Ten minutes ago she hated us._

Olivia raised her left perfectly traced eyebrow. "And you are?"

The Ravenclaw breathed deeply and stood a bit straighter, but before she could properly answer, the Slytherin wannabe queen interrupted again.

"Wait a second…you're a Browning." She chuckled, and Abby wished she would choke on her saliva. "One of the swamp witches! You're the worst kind of pureblood there is: dishonored, poor and especially stupid." The blonde paced toward her, believing herself menacing, "You're dumb enough to believe we are all the same. I don't think your mind works well enough to get that I'm just better than you; and certainly better than these dirtbags."

Most commonly Abby would endured the shallow girl's bullying stoically, without any response, waiting for it to go away; but this time she was getting really tired of Olivia's delusions. "Watch out, Olivia. You're starting to sound very death eater-like."

"Yeah, you wouldn't want the people at Witch's Heart to find out you're quoting Voldemort, do you?" Harper joined in.

"That would give very bad reputation to the Selwyns." The Browning girl stated, more as the discovery of a fact than as a dig at her aggressor.

The self proclaimed Slytherin Princess didn't reply, but Abby recognized that face. There was no natural reason for a face to turn that shade of red, unless you messed with Olivia's hair, or in this case: her family. She took out her golden wand and drew it in the Ravenclaw's direction. She murmured a spell Abby intuit they weren't suppose to know. Browning threw her hands to her throat and gasped for air on the spot. Abby jumped from the breaches, wand raised. "Leave her alone!"

Harper recessed the situation and figured two had better chances than one, so she also pointed her wand directly at Olivia. "Yeah, bugger off!"

The blonde witch turned, amused. "Or what?"

"Expelliarmus!" Abby commanded. The spell hit Olivia's hand sending her precious wand flying. The Slytherin hadn't seen Abby in control of her magic, until now. When the Ravenclaw could breathe again, moved to grab her wand. For a second it seemed like a duel was about to spark, but the door creaked and a screamed broke the tension.

Professor Flitwick accompanied by the rest of the Frog Choir barged back into the room to find Olivia screaming her lungs out, her minions running to comfort her and the three girls who had just been insulted in many levels pointing their wands at her. In an instant they all understood what Olivia's Machiavellian mind had concocted.

Flitwick didn't even need a spell to be heard. "Whatever is happening here ends now! You three have no right to threaten a fellow student. Each one of your houses loses twenty points AND you'll see me tomorrow for detention after classes."

"Professor, you don't understand we weren't trying to…" Abby pleaded, but got interrupted by Harper: "this is not what it looks like! We had to…" who got interrupted by the Ravenclaw girl: "No no no no no. Professor, I can't have a detention that would ruin my perfect…" Meanwhile Olivia's tearless wailing had started to deafen them. However, they were all magically silenced by Flitwick's quick hand.

"For not taking responsibility for your actions you **will** spend the rest of the week in detention. And you will remain silenced until you nod to prove you understand."

The three of them had to swallow their words, and the truth, before nodding.

"Good. Now Miss Selwyn, please collect yourself and go to Madame Pomfrey to get rid of that wailing curse."

Olivia looked offended but knew better than to push her win. The teacher flipped his wand again, liberating them to talk, although with a single look he encouraged them to not arguing farther. The three framed girls glanced at each other and look down; there was nothing else to do.

* * *

The door of the most filthy and abandoned classroom in the castle shut closed with a bang. That was the second time in a day Abby had seen the elegant Professor Flitwick slam a door. _I hope this doesn't become a thing._

They had been instructed to clean the whole place the muggle way. Apparently this classroom had been left unused after a magical substitute for glue was spilled, since then, it had become a mix of storage room and laboratory for the pranksters of the last six years; pranksters who didn't care to clean after themselves.

Abby sighed loudly and grabbed a brush and bucket. "At least we're not alone."

Harper rolled up the sleeves of her stripped sweater and tried to move the chairs to one side of the room. She was disgusted but smiling. "True. And he didn't say we couldn't talk." They laughed.

The Ravenclaw girl cut in right between them to grab her own bucket and brush, with some very loud bashing she got down to work, so the others shrugged and figured they'd follow suit.

After a while, Abby's knees and back got tired. She dropped her bum ungracefully to the floor, her arms thrown in the air with the movement, releasing her sponge directly at Harper's face.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry Harper I…" Harper splashed some of the bucket water right to Abby's mouth. The cunning girl wasn't mad she was grinning when she turned away to keep cleaning, but Abby wasn't one to lose a fight that easily. She dipped her red oversized sleeves in the water and threw them both towards her friend.

Harper gasped. "You're on." Abby ran to the other side of the room and stood too close for the comfort of the more obedient girl. Harper threw the sponge and hit Abby's back. The Gryffindor went for the uninvolved girl's rag, she snatched it, twirled it and used it as a towel against her rival. They ran in circles from one side of the room to the other, even slipping from time to time but always giddy.

But Harper was done playing games; she nodded her head slowly and took the sides of the half empty bucket.

Abby's eyes got extremely round. "No…no no no Harper no don't…"

Before the poor unsuspecting girl could get out of the way, Harper sent the contents of the bucket flying to through the air. Her aim was wrong; Melinda Browning was dripping from head to toe. When she got to her feet and turned, her very long very wet very dark brown hair covered her face. She screamed trying to get the soapy water from her eyes and glasses. And then, more to herself than at the others, she mumbled "Why they couldn't just clean? Why is it so hard to be quiet and stay out of trouble? Why? WHY?"

"Sorry, we didn't mean to…" Harper tried to help her somehow, but she was clearly not to be messed with right then. She was doing her best attempt to breathe and calm down. The others were too startled to move or say anything. She eventually got her hair away from her face, glared at them for what felt like centuries, turned around and got back to the cleaning.

Harper and Abby stared at each other, and with a hint of telepathy, got back to the task, taking extreme care to not bother the still dripping girl.

After a pause of tense silence the Ravenclaw retorted, as if she had been gathering enough self control to not shout at them. "Professor Flitwick didn't say we couldn't talk but that doesn't mean we SHOULD. This is punishment after all."

Abby bit her lip and joined her in the floor to keep scrapping. "Well, cleaning is really not the worst thing we could be doing."

The girl puffed and changed spots to a corner of the room. "It's not about cleaning. It's about the shame of detention."

She worked frantically while the other two stopped in their tracks. "Shame of detention? We're hardly the first ones to get detention, and we're definitely not gonna be the last ones. This is not even my first one." Harper said with a hint of pride.

Abby chimed in. "Well it is my first, but if I live right it won't be the last time I get into trouble." They laughed together and high-fived, which only made the opposite side even more irritated.

"Maybe YOU are okay with this, but I am not! You may have ruined my path to Headgirl. I am not a problematic person. I do not get in trouble. YOU GOT ME IN TROUBLE!"

Harper and Abby met her on their feet. While the Slytherin huffed and made faces, Abby confronted the Ravenclaw: "What? Wait a second. Olivia choked you, not us. We were helping you! Actually you defended us first. If you're so worried about getting in trouble, why did you do it?"

There was a pause in which Melinda Browning wasn't sure what to say; and everyone who knew her understood how conflicting that was for her. The others waited patiently, they really wanted to know. Melinda breathed deeply and uttered the only truth that came to her: "I thought it was the right thing to do."

Abby and Harper's annoyance dissolved away. They did have something in common. The Slytherin added "Well, that's also what we were trying to do."

The Ravenclaw nodded, looked to the side awkwardly and went back to the dirt. Harper glanced at her friend, shrugged and followed suit. Abby joined them, but her pride pushed her to say out loud: "You're welcome." She barely heard the answer, a whispered "Thank you;" happier now so she got down to business.

After an hour the tension was gone; they had spent it in a busy silence, exchanging sponges, and brushes around, but they weren't half way done yet. Abby was reminded of her chores at home and how there was only one thing that made them bearable. "I wish we had some music. It would make this a lot less boring."

"I know! Music makes everything better." Harper replied. "But my brother and I rarely agree on what music to listen to while we're washing the dishes. The only thing that makes us both happy is some musicals…and Disney! Always Disney."

"Yes! My favorite soundtracks for cleaning are "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan and "Under the sea" From the Little Mermaid."

Harper and Abby were so enthralled in their chat they didn't notice how the third party instantly perked up and turned around at the sound of the word "mermaid." "Wait, do you know a mermaid?" Melinda fixed her glasses as if she was seeing them for the first time.

Abby took a second to understand the question, then, she remembered what Olivia had said: this girl was a pureblood, she'd never been in contact with the muggle world, let alone the muggle media. "Amh not like a real one, though that would be wicked. It's a movie, an animated movie."

As uncomfortable Melinda was with not knowing something she was even more curious. "What's a movie?"

The girls looked at each other, babbling; explaining something that they've taken for granted tuned out to be very difficult. Abby decided to give it a go. "Well…it's similar to a painting that moves, but it's a story that someone wrote, and someone acted, and someone directed it. It's a team effort, really, and once it's done it won't change."

Melinda sat down on the floor and crossed her knees, like a child listening a bedtime story. "So is it like theatre?"

Harper and Abby nodded effusively. _Maybe we should've started with that_.

Harper dropped the sponge into the bucket and decided she preferred to spend her time explaining muggle things. "Yes! Exactly like that, but this is recorded with a camera and when people see it is not live. And after you've filmed it people add many things, special effects like spaceships and monsters and superheroes and music."

Melinda adjusted her skirt and tall socks; she had come to a similar conclusion than Harper. "Are there many movies about mermaids?"

Abby figured a list in her mind. "Plenty, but the best one IS definitely the one we told you about: "The Little Mermaid." It has music and the animation is beautiful. It's a classic."

"What is it about?"

Abby was the last one to drop down. She never lost a chance to tell a story. "It's about this young mermaid who falls in love with this human prince she rescues from a shipwreck. Her father forbids her to go near humans, so she goes to the sea witch…"

"Who is more like an octopus than a mermaid." Harper interjected.

"Yeah. And she makes a deal with the witch: legs to go meet her beloved, in exchange for her voice."

Melinda gasped. "What does she want with her voice?"

"Doesn't make much sense, but she uses it to be creepy and to deceive Prince Eric when…" Harper answered.

"No Spoilers, Harper! She must see it herself." Abby exclaimed.

"Okay, okay. Got it."

The Gryffindor continued, "Actually it's based on a fairytale, though the original is quit depressing."

"Yeah, the movie is better by far." Harper tilted her head, "so…why are you so interested in mermaids? An hour ago you said we shouldn't speak while in detention."

"And you hated our guts." Abby added.

Melinda seemed slightly ashamed of her outburst, but she was timid to be honest for she had never talked about this to anyone in Hogwarts. "…It's a family thing." She could've stopped, but looking at the other two eager girls, her instinct told her she could trust them. "There's a legend that says that my great-great-grandmother was a mermaid and she fell in love with a wizard. They say she saved him and it was love at first sight. In the beginning they settled near the beach and they were happy there. But it was a muggle town, so eventually the villagers got suspicious, and they had to move into main land. But the further they got away from the ocean, the sicker she felt. Eventually she grew so weak the only way of saving her life was to get her back into the sea. She said goodbye to her two daughters and her husband carried her into the water. They say they had one last kiss, and when she touched the salt water…she transformed into a kelpie."

"Wow…" Harper and Abby said in unison.

The Slytherin commented first. "I wish my family had legends."

Abby was stilled hung up on the story. "No wonder you like mermaids. That'd be a great movie. Did they ever see her again? Her husband and children?"

"We don't know…but that's supposed to be the story about where our wands come from."

"Wha…what do you mean? You didn't get your wand with Mr. Ollivander?" Abby wasn't aware there was more than one manner to obtain a wand.

"It's a family tradition. There's a chest of wands with kelpie mane core at Grandma's. They don't use kelpie mane for cores anymore because it's so hard to get. But ours is supposed to be my great-great-grandmother's mane. When I got my letter, I tried a few of them; I analyzed them carefully, made a list of pros and cons and chose mine."

The other two girls turned to each other, and in unison: "Ravenclaw"

"Is that an insult?"

Nobody wanted to start arguing again so Harper tried to explain. "No, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just over thinking is your guys' thing, right?"

"I Guess so…"

A thought dawn on Abby. "Hey…we've been here for hours now, and we'll be here for the rest of the week by the look of it and we haven't introduced ourselves properly. We only know your last name. Browning isn't it?"

The proud Ravenclaw puffed her chest a bit. "Yes. And my name is Melinda."

"I'm Abby, last name: Mondragon." She pointed at herself and then to her left. "And this is Harper Parrish."

"Hiya"

The formal twelve-year old nodded to the both of them; "nice to properly meet you."

There was a pause, but instead of being awkward, the three regarded each other. They could sense something had shifted, but it was a sensation, nothing more, yet.

Melinda broke the silence, her curiosity unsatisfied. "About these…movies, where can I see them?"

The next silence wasn't awkward either, but baffled.

"I have no idea," Harper said.

"I don't think there's a theater in Hogsmeade, do you reckon?" Abby wondered out loud. Harper shook, and Melinda's face saddened. But Abby was determined: "Don't worry, we'll find a way."

* * *

When Professor Flitwick got back, he reprimanded them on the little advance they've made. "You three ought to come back each afternoon for as long as it takes you to get this classroom squeaky clean. Understood? Good. You're done for the day."

As soon as he gave his back to them, they giggled together. None of them could've predicted they would look forward to detention, but Abby figured there was a first time for everything.

* * *

Harper dropped down on the Hufflepuff table next to her brother Nick and start stealing fries from his plate.

"Hey! You know I don't share food!" he said.

"Bugger off, Nick! I pretty much missed dinner already and I'm starving."

"That's not my problem. Go to the kitchens or something."

"Too late, already here."

He quit taking the plate and resigned himself to sharing. "Where were you anyway?"

"Detention."

"Second already?"

"It wasn't my fault this time."

"And how many times have you said that?"

She didn't dignify the question with an answer. Instead she locked eyes with him and without flinching went for the very last fry, a crunchy one.

The dark haired boy with round eyes gasped, almost in pain. "I hate you."

His sister laughed, "No, you don't." Her eyes drifted away across the room to the blue sea of Ravenclaws. In the middle of the other perfectly uniformed Ravens, Melinda felt it and turned, smiling and waving shyly. Harper waved back.

Nick caught the gestured and was intrigued. "I thought Ravenclaws were snobs and know-it-alls?"

"Not all of them."

Harper smiled, thinking of her new friends, people she would've never thought of befriending, but she was glad she had. This time she felt like a pair of eyes had set on her shoulders. She turned to find Abby's eyes. They exchanged a wide, big, grin, and a telepathic giggle.

"And…Gryffindors too? Sis, you're so…multicultural."

"You're jealous you don't have anyone else to hang out with other than your badgers."

"You usually rather hang out with us than your housemates, so who's really stuck with badgers, hum?"

They made peace with a glare, and clinked their cups of juice.

Nick looked back to the Gryffindors for a moment, and settled on the girl laughing until snorting, the one with the curly hair and the hazel eyes. "At least, you're friends with a cute one."

"What?" Harper asked.

He blushed and quickly brushed it away. "Nothing. Didn't say anything."

"Mmmh….sure…" Harper could tell he got nervous and bow to investigate later, maybe she'll ask her new friends.

* * *

Through the years, they had wished they could've been there the first time, maybe do it all over again. But the first time they got the title, none of them was aware they would become part of the legacy. They couldn't have known what Flitwick commented to the Headmistress McGonagall during dinner at the teachers table.

"I'll tell you, Minerva. When I came back, their demeanor had changed."

"Wasn't that the point of detention, Filius?"

"Yes, but there was something familiar…they reminded me of….another group of troublemakers."

"Is that so? Why, if you are referring to the troublemakers who grew up to save this very school, I don't think we should be worrying."

"Oh no…I mean yes…them. But I was thinking even further back…"

"The marauders?"

"Precisely!"

"Well, they also battled dark forces…"

"But they didn't come out unscratched." Flitwick paused to gobble a piece of bread, and got distracted by the new potions teacher's voice.

But that comment, left McGonagall reeling, and thinking to herself: "I do hope they have better luck."

* * *

 **I wasn't so sure fries are a common thing in Hogwarts for dinner, but I figured is not impossible either.**

 **Thanks for reading! Will be back as soon as I can. You may look forward to a few magical discoveries in Hogwarts, love stories, a smuggle net, and always friendship.**

 **Lots of love!**


	5. Chapter 4 (4 years before)

"I have them!" Harper shouted when she ran to Melinda and Abby. The friends almost lost their balance when she threw her weight on their shoulders, but they kept walking regardless in a kind of awkward triple hug.

"What are you talking about?" Abby asked giggling.

"The movies! I smuggled them inside the castle." Harper let them go and opened her leather bag to show them.

Abby laughed and got her tiny grabby hands in to go through them. "Mel, you're gonna love these."

"Let me see!" Mel reached for them and Abby passed her the movies. Revising five DVDs, each one exciting Melinda even more than the previous one.

"And….an ipod with tons of music and enough battery to last us a week, more if we manage to get electricity," Harper continued.

Since the beginning of their friendship last year, movies and music had become something they could all share, but they soon realized they shared so much more, something deeper. They'd become fast and very good friends, getting often pulled out of their expected housemates circles and towards each other by the sheer force of that union that had evolved since that week in detention.

In summer, Abby had lost count of the letters she'd sent to Mel with her pigmy owl "Snitch", AKA the best thing she could've ever done with her summer work savings. It was a tiny light brown owl, with golden specs and spots in her wings, eyes so big and feathers so fluffy she looked like a cartoon. And while she was home, Abby's mobile got used primarily to contact Harper who had been on vacation the whole two months. It was thanks to them and the confidence the Duel Club had sparkled in her and her own magic that she felt happy and was actually looking forward to her third year. Excitement mixed up with nerves that is, for lo and behold: puberty was slowly but surely creeping on her face, body and mind, along with vanity and a whole trunk of brand new insecurities that liked to come out when least expected. But when she was with these two witches she couldn't help to feel at ease and she caught herself thinking: _I don't feel alone anymore._

Abby's general optimism however, took a nosedive when it became obvious Olivia had set herself on the mission of pointing out every single change that puberty had thrust upon the girls. She was so relentless, they chose the very last wagon on the Hogwarts Express just to get away from the minions' shrilling giggles at every mean comment Olivia made.

A few days later, however, everything began to settle down into its own rhythm: classes, homework, spells, potions, essays, old friends, new crushes, gossip and new blooming friendships.

The excited Slytherin had crashed into her friends on their way back to their tower dorms on a Thursday evening.

"Okay Harper, this is amazing but a) how in Merlin's name did you smuggle this? And b) we don't have anywhere to play this on." Abby pointed out.

"a) A bit of a concealing spell and a bunch of other magical shit on my trunk, enough to confound anyone from looking to hard at these. And b)…..yeah I didn't think this through."

"So…we're not gonna watch these? Or…I don't get to watch these at all or…. I have to wait 'til summer?" The girls could hear Melinda's disappointment dipping her words.

They looked at each other and Abby stepped out of the sad silence to try to find a solution. "Maybe there's a way. Okay, we need a place that has electricity and a TV. Maybe in Hogsmeade! a room at a hostel or something just for the day."

"It would be amazing to have somewhere to go where we can hang out and have sleepovers and dance parties and…" Harper added.

"Yeah! If only we could get a great sound system to listen to music and the greatest soundtracks," Abby's hand's gestures turned wider with every new idea. "oh...and a huge bed so we can all fit in."

"With tons of cozy pillows and blankets and a popcorn machine!" Harper exclaimed.

"And not having to worry about not being in our dorms by curfew." Mel finished their wishing list.

Their excitement distracted them for a few halls and stairs. They would've keep wandering the castle, detailing every corner and décor of their perfect shared room, if it hadn't been for the thick barrier against which Abby stomped forehead first.

"Ouch!" her left hand went straight up to paw the bump down.

Harper tried to swallow the giggles while Mel asked if she was okay, and then they both laughed.

Abby kept rubbing her face. "Thanks guys, I love you too." She couldn't help a complicit smile. Only then, they looked forward. Before them: a door, a huge reddish varnished door that glowed with the remnants of natural light hitting it; nothing remarkable about it, not a mark, a classroom number or any sign to explain itself, merely its inviting color.

"Wait….was this door already here? Am I _that_ clumsy?" Abby shared out loud.

"Was it?" Harper frowned in confusion while Mel shook her head, "I've never seen it. And I walk this aisle often on my way to the tower."

"Pretty sure it's not a classroom; maybe somebody's office?" Harper asked.

"No, offices are never this far away from the Great Hall," Melinda said.

While the two pondered, Abby's pain gave way to curiosity so she did what seemed logic to do with a door: to open it and step inside. A shrug and a second later, the others followed.

"If this is somebody's office…" Abby started.

"It is a hell of a cool office." Harper ended.

Melinda merely gawked, for she didn't recognize more than half of the objects and contraptions lying around.

"Is this a…." Harper walked towards the great black rectangle at the center of the room. Abby ran to meet her. "it's a TV!" and…a sound system….and…. wait, did we do some spell without knowing it? I know the castle is magical and all….but this is…something else."

The room was a wishing list; in fact it was _their_ wishing list, the one they were just talking about; including every single electronic device they've mentioned and a popcorn machine. The room itself was a round chamber with no windows, but illuminated by a fireplace. At its center, a king size bed with pillows of different sizes and a variety of all the colors of the rainbow, it was surrounded by one sofa and a chair, which looked more comfortable than any they'd seen before. At the feet of the bed as if welcoming them: three blankets one with golden stars, one with white stripes and a third with teal waves; in front: a flat screen as big as a wall floating at the perfect distance to enjoy. A collection of movies that could rival a collector's in a bookcase nearby, one step down from what the muggle-knowing would recognized as a DVD and a stereo. The fire kept it warm and comfortable; from the flames emanated a smell of the most fascinating mixture of burned wood and home-made cookies. Despite none of them having been there before, everything within these walls sang of home, security and fun.

"This is ours." Abby stated.

"How can you tell?" Mel brushed her fingers against the objects, eager to know but slightly afraid too.

"Isn't it obvious?" Abby gestured and twirled herself in joy.

Harper unceremoniously dropped her bag in a tub sofa to the left of the chimney and threw herself to the bed. Abby joined her while shouting "Come on, Mel!" Each one moved a bit to one side, leaving space for their raven haired friend. She stood hesitating. She let her eyes wonder around the reds, blues and greens, even purples that sprinkled their personalities into the furniture, and sat in the bed with a deep sigh. Melinda's Ravenclaw dorm was permanently buzzing with the tension of schoolwork, it was not a place for relaxation, but here she could breathe. And so she did, deeply, peacefully. She jumped and dropped her back between the girls. They stayed put, staring at a ceiling that had very little to offer other than a few scorched marks; reveling on their own luck, sharing their sweet joy, communicating without words, neither one of them wishing to break the spell.

Melinda finally sat back up and hugged the pillow with an M embroidered on it. "So? What are we watching first?"

* * *

By midnight they've watched three Disney movies, stuffed themselves with popcorn and moved on to talking, for Abby it was the best part of the night.

"Do you believe in fairy tales?" Melinda asked during the Beauty and the Beast credits, lying on her stomach, lazily flexing and pointing her feet.

"What do you mean?" Harper asked from the comfort of the fluffy mat on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Mel sat up on the bed. "Like…love, finding someone who treats you like a princess, whose kiss would make everything great, and live happily ever after, like that."

Abby answered first from her bundle of pillows against the headboard. "Sounds amazing. Just like a movie. It'd be really nice to be swept of my feet by some prince charming, but I don't think it's that easy. Does the perfect person even exist? Anyway why do you ask? Do you believe it?"

Melinda's answer was shy but resolute. "Well yes…I…I've always wished for something like that. I cannot wait to fall in love."

"Of course you would. You've got your own family fairy tale and everything." Harper said in the tone they've come to know as the "mocking with love" tone.

"That's a legend and…my parents are not like…that." She looked down, masterfully placing her long bangs to cover most of her face. Harper and Abby felt her tensing at the subject so the Gryffindor did what first came to mind to make her feel safe and unembarrassed: she crawl closer to Mel and start talking about her own baggage.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to fall in love at all. I mean, there's always the part of the story that sucks, where the couple fights and everyone is miserable, and sometimes you don't get out of that. I've had examples of both; and even my grandparents who truly love each other have horrible fights and sometimes they make each other cry, and yes…they make up and everything's cool again but I'm not sure…is it worth it? And that's the best case scenario. The worst case scenario: you end up alone, heartbroken, regretting everything, with a baby and a life you never planned, like my Mom….so yeah, that's not something I look forward to."

Harper stood up and walked around absentmindedly touching everything in her grasp and jumped on the confession wagon. "I'm not so sure either. I've never seen it truly working out. I barely know what my parents' relationship is like, growing up they were too busy for us. Actually this is the third year I've lived away from the house, and other than not having my brother next door, I really can't tell the difference. I don't even know how or where they met." She ended, trying to laugh it off. She looked at her friends and didn't find the awkward smiles she was aiming for, instead she found her own sadness reflected back, and maybe it was the pause that hanged in the air or maybe it was the fact that they weren't afraid of seeing into each others' eyes but Melinda was inspired.

She moved from the bed to a dark blue sofa and started talking. "My parents are not together….anymore." Just a simple sentence but it took all of her breath to speak it.

"Are they divorced?" Abby asked.

"They are separated. Divorce is not something common in wizard's families and amongst long magical bloodlines is almost unheard off. But we don't live with my father since I was nine. Truth is….it was a relief when we left. My father is not a bad person but he hurt my Mom. It wasn't fair for her, so she asked if I wanted to go with her or stayed with him. I love my Mom for giving me the option. It wasn't a hard decision to make. We walked away and found an apartment in a village near the sea. Sometimes I worry while I'm here, wondering if she feels alone, but she has great friends and the family is close by; and I know she's happier now." By the time she finished she felt a hand in her hand, and someone else sited to her left. She held their hands. "I've never told anyone."

"Thank you for telling us." Abby whispered.

Harper added "Your secret's safe with us." After a pause "Want popcorn?"

They all laughed but hold the moment for a bit longer.

After Harper had refilled the huge bowl with fresh popcorn, Abby realized she had a few doubts left. "Mel, if you don't mind me asking….if your parents didn't get along so well, how come you 'cannot wait to fall in love'?"

Melinda's tanned face lit up. "Because….love is the greatest magic there is. It changed my family's history. That's what it does: it changes the world around you, the way you see life. Nothing is the same after. I can't wait to see life through those eyes." Abby and Harper sighed, the latter sharing "it does sound brilliant." They let themselves day-dreamed as only thirteen-year olds could day-dream: big and full of hope.

"You know what I'm dying to find about?" Abby broke the dreaming.

"What?" the romantic girl asked.

"Sex."

Harper laughed hard and loud, Abby snorted and Melinda, in spite of herself, joined in with her hand covering her mouth. Abby still giggling did her best to explain. "Seriously! Sex makes people crazy. If love makes the world go 'round, sex is what shakes it. I want to know what all the fuzz is about! Don't you? Am I the only one dying of curiosity?"

"Sure, but I'm in no hurry." Harper laughed it off.

"Yeah, first you would need to tolerate anyone for more than a few hours; other than us that is." Abby replied.

Harper winked and playfully snapped her lips with a sided grin, "Right on."

Melinda laughed and blushed at the same time. She was glad to have this conversation with girls her age, being an only child she didn't have anyone to share the excitement of a crush with, other than her Mom; and she didn't felt fully comfortable with the other Ravenclaws so this was her chance. "I would like to kiss someone, like really properly kiss someone."

"You mean with tongue?" Harper asked chucking.

"Yes….have any of you kissed someone?" Mel asked back.

"I have." Harper said. Her friends turned to exchange a wide eyed, open mouthed glance and proceeded to get closer as to hear a great story or a secret.

"And?...who?!" both of the girls' voices went higher in pitch and their hands moved dramatically, urging their friend to spill.

"It was the summer before second year. He's a friend of my cousins. We went to Bath with my family and we went alone to walk on the beach and out of nowhere he kissed me."

"How romantic," Mel leaned her head on her hand.

"So was it like a proper kiss? With tongue and everything? Did your heads bump with each other? Did you go to second base?" Abby couldn't get her questions out quickly enough.

"No. Not really, but our noses were a bit on the way. And Merlin, no; it lasted like three seconds and we both felt awkward after. We didn't talk for the rest of the trip. I stuck to my brother like glue to avoid him."

"See? You didn't tolerate the guy for more than a few hours and that's what happened." Abby stated smugly.

Harper blinked and giggled. "That's not the point. The point is…..I cannot be the only one! Come on, spill! How about you Mel?"

Melinda's blush turned up one tone of red and she shook her head.

Abby tried to convince her. "Come on! You wouldn't be crimson if you hadn't done anything. She spilled, now you."

"What about you?" Mel defended herself.

"That's true! You must have something juicy if you asked. And I have ideas on who you're gonna tell us about." Harper poked.

"I have theories too." Mel added.

Abby smiled, she didn't mind they were unto her. " _You_ have theories about everything. Okay, I will tell you anything you want to know….right after the Ravenclaw spills."

Mel started the story, supporting herself with the navy pillow, considerably more relaxed now. "There's nothing that interesting to say. My first kiss was during first year with Louis, a Gryffindor…."

Abby jumped in: "I know him! But I'm surprised….I mean….he's not very bright, he's kind though but a total push-over."

Mel sighed and nod. "Yes, but he was cute and he said he liked me and that hadn't happen before and I just….kissed him…it was a bit more like a five-second peck, and it was nice and he was sweet."

"First kisses are always awkward, so it sounds nicer than most;" Both going for supportive. Harper nodded in agreement.

Melinda pursed her nose, "It _was_ really awkward, especially after. None of us really knew what to do next."

"So, did you go out or kiss some more? Or anything?" Harper inquired.

"Mmh…kind of. We went for ice-cream during the summer a few times, but turns out we don't have a lot in common. Things just got cold by second year. I won't even count him as my first boyfriend. Now….it's your turn." Melinda wasn't usually the teasing or friendly mocking type, but these girls were rubbing off on her.

Abby stopped for a second, as if she doubted to tell them, but she was merely spicing the moment with some drama to which her friends rolled their eyes and hit her with pillows. In the middle of a burst of laughter and soft punches she began: "okay, okay, okay…right before last year ended something kinda happened. We had been working late for finals, we were so tired we began talking nonsense about….sex, and you know, we start wondering, like "What is so great about being touched and groped? And one thing led to another and we did that…." Abby lowered her voice in the last part. Which came in huge contrast to the loud gasped her friends made.

"Did you have sex?!" They both shouted.

Abby jumped to the bed and shook her hands supporting her answer. "No! no! Merlin, no! We kissed and touched and groped but we didn't go that far. We just 'explored'? I'm not sure that's the word for it, but it's the only one that makes sense."

"And who is he?" Mel was done with her unawareness.

"You said you had theories…" Abby invited.

If anything felt remotely similar to a test Melinda was ready to tackle it. "Your Gryffindor friend, that guy who always sits next to you during breakfast. It must be him."

"Dylan?! No! Never! He's just a friend, and even _if_ I fancied him, which I do not. I suspect he's into boys. And that's awesome cuz he's a really good friend and I want him to be happy." Abby answered emphatically. Mel pouted slightly and crossed her arms.

"You wanna guess, Harper?"

"I have an idea. But finish first and then I'll gloat." Harper grinned.

Abby smiled but hesitated, she just realized she hadn't actually spoken or rationalized what had happen; out of the blue the fact that she had let someone kiss her and touch her body and wake new sensations felt huge, and to share it with someone made it real: not a secret or a dream, or a hazy fantasy, but a memory. They noticed her wavering; by now they knew Abby to be an open book, so her sudden shyness meant this was big. Harper and Mel shared a glance and decided to not push anymore, even if they were irking to solve the mystery.

The little lioness turned from the floor to the witches, she allowed a grin to appear. They smiled back and that was it…they were family, this was their little refuge and they were listening, not judging, nor competing like some of her other friends, they were _with_ her and that's all she could ask.

Abbigale whispered "It's Vincent Corbyn."

All the tension was released with Mel's loud gasp and Harper's squeal accompanied by an impromptu dance.

"What's up with you?" Abby asked, half shocked and half laughing since Harper had upgraded her swaying to full on walking man.

Harper pointed at her and shouted "I knew it! I knew it!"

"There's no way you could've known that! I haven't told anyone ever. And I'm pretty sure he hasn't either."

"And we have barely seen them together." Mel added.

Harper paused her victory dance to explain and gloat. She kneeled on the carpet and did her own take on Detective Poirot, pointing strongly as if her finger was a wand but taking her sweet time: "I literally smelled it. Vinny is friends with a housemate, and last year he snooped in our common room for homework. I went to say hi to my friend and when I got close to Vinny I smelled you! I recognized it but I wasn't sure, BUT a few weeks later when we went to the lake and it started to rain and we use your cloak to cover us, it smelled weird and then I realized, it smelled of guy's deodorant. And the only reason why you'd smell of guy's deodorant was if you had been VERY close to a guy. After that I just brushed against him a few times to make sure it was THAT deodorant. One of those times I caught him checking you out, very intensely. And the next day I saw you giving him _the smile_. Case closed." She finished with a slight bow.

Mel sighed and lay back, no blinking just frowning. "I'm a little bit offended you didn't share it with me, Harper."

"It wasn't mine to share; also it was just a theory. I had to wait for Abby's confirmation." Harper shrugged and grabbed more popcorn.

After processing Harper's monologue, Abby couldn't focus on anything other than: "Wait! What is this "smile" you're talking about?"

Harper nodded to Mel while she stood up, as if they had clearly discussed this before and it was her turn to explain; the Ravenclaw took the cue. "The smile you give a guy when you fancy him. Instead of batting your lashes or giggling nervously, you tilt down your face and grin on your right side."

"How do _you_ know this? And how did I _not_ know this?" Abby's shock was drawn on her pout.

While Harper went to her ipod trying to figure out how to use the invisible speakers at their disposal, Mel clarified.

"It's the same smile you give to Bowen when he waves at you. And the same one you give to the seventh year Gryffindor who helped you pick up your books in the library the other day. It's totally unconscious, but I didn't notice you were giving it to Vinny so she won me to it!"

Abby's shock was replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling. "I think you guys know me better than anybody else ever has."

Mel hugged her, and in a night filled with moments this was the one that invoked a soundtrack. The notes of an eighties hit started playing, and the music invaded the room and invited them to tap their toes.

" _Running just as fast as we can,_

 _holding on to one another hands_

 _Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me_

 _And we tumble to the ground and then you say_ _…."_

Harper swayed her hips and raised her arms holding a pillow. Abby who was on her way to a standing position got hit in the face with said pillow and couldn't help but laughed hard and loud. Then went for the other pillow and threatened Mel with it until she got up and instead of hitting her she took her hand and gave her a twirl.

" _I think we're alone now,_

 _There doesn't seem to be anyone around_

 _I think we're alone now,_

 _The beating of our hearts is the only sound…"_

Melinda didn't know this song but she was wasting no time in knowing it before enjoying it. And they danced all over the room, dispersing the emotions but keeping what was important: they all felt heard and seen that night and it was the treasure they would come back to forever.

* * *

The trio ran through the halls: Mel fixing her cloak and blue scarf, Harper sipping up the buttons of the white blouse, while Abby skipped tying her red converse' shoelaces tripping a few times.

"My brother's gonna kill me!" Harper said.

"He doesn't look like the murdering type…" Abby commented.

"If I don't get to _this_ breakfast on time, he'll hex me till Christmas break."

"But why would…." Mel asked.

They reached the stairs and jumped every two or three steps. In the first rest they had, waiting for the staircase to snap back into its place, Harper panted. "The list of the new Quidditch members was posted today in the common rooms."

In unison her friends nodded with an "Oh;" and kept running. They've forgotten that every year after the posting of the lists, the entire Great Hall snapped into a chaos of energy: disappointment for some, celebration for a few, and almost everyone fell prey to a competitive house pride that wasn't necessarily there before.

That was the state of chaos they found when they finally reached the Great Hall, where the screams where so loud, the insults so childish and the spirits so high, Abby secretly hoped it would explode into a Food Fight.

Harper waved at them and ran to the Hufflepuff side, the others swiped nimbly through the crowds reaching their own tables.

Nicholas Parrish, whose puberty was mainly pulling him upward; was being patted in the back roughly by two older students wearing Quidditch jerseys he didn't know the names off. His happiness was in peril of being off-staged by his anxiety, which was only stopped by a grounding voice: "Told you you didn't have anything to worry about lil' brother." And though Nick hated Harper's "told you so" look and posture, he decided to forgone that, instead rolling his eyes and crashing a massive high-five against his sister's right hand.

After a quick hug, she asked "So…which position?"

"I'll start as Chaser for now, but Ted wants to train me to go on as Seeker for the end of the season!" Nick's toothy smile couldn't be wider.

"Yes! Right on!" Harper fist-bumped the air. "Wait till Dad hears it! And Mom will be so..."

"No!" Nick's smile faded. He grabbed Harper's hands to force her to pay close attention to his words. "I'm not telling Father…or Mom, or anyone back home, at least for now." He sat down and filled a plate of food making an effort to regain his good mood.

Harper frowned in confusion but joined him. It wasn't a lack of understanding, despite having the same parents they were treated differently: their Father wanted Nick to be everything Nick did not. Being a muggle, he wouldn't understand what an accomplishment being part of the Quidditch team could mean to someone, especially his brother who had loved flying from the second he touched a broom. She felt for her sibling, and her rebel instinct, which was one of the many reasons she didn't get along with her Dad, wished she could convince her brother to blow off their Father and live his own life; but she also knew better. He would get there on his own; for now all she could really do was celebrate with him.

"Well, for what's worth: I'm proud of you." They weren't overly loving siblings, so the pat on the shoulder she gave him and her words had a special weight that morning. Nick patted her hand back and smiled.

"Thanks, Sis." He chuckled a bit, gobbling down a piece of dark bread with butter. "For a second I thought you'd be happier to have an inside man in the team than the fact that I got a spot in the team."

She frowned with curiosity. "Why would I need an inside man in the Quidditch team?"

"I don't know. To run bets? Sell intel to the other teams? Something crazy and practically illegal like that…"

The glass of orange juice Harper had to her lips seemed to be stuck for a moment, moment in which one single brilliant idea planted, watered, and blossomed in her mind.

Nick who was to occupied with his pancakes to notice, continued. "But it was silly, you'd never do that. You wouldn't be _that_ crazy."

Harper settled her glass down; avoiding all eye contact with her brother, whispered "Right…"

The Hufflepuff boy glared and slowly turned his glare to the invited Slytherin. "Right..?"

Harper nodded, still ignoring Nick's heavy stare; "right!"

"Harpeeer…..you're not….that was not…" he sighed. "You're not gonna do anything stupid, are you?"

She finally faced him, with a sparkle in her eyes and a small smile that they both knew meant trouble. With total confidence and honesty coating her words, she stated, "I am _certainly_ not gonna do anything… _stupid."_ She went back to focus on the sausages in her plate. She sneaked glances around the room, and pondered how much every avid fan and hooligan would be willing to pay for their house pride; never before had she been grateful for helping her Mom managing and budgeting the house.

Nick growled slightly, he could and maybe he should have keep complaining about the potential bad ideas his sister was surely concocting, but got distracted by a toast Ted Lupin, the Captain of his team, was giving in their honor. He would have to keep glaring later.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, the new team members were hugging a very awkward Charlotte and smashing the cups and glasses in a rhythmic chant as if they've already won the Quidditch cup. Abby grabbed the spot next to her friend and a cup, acting like she'd been there from the beginning.

Rowena Clayton, the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, said loud enough for the table to hear "To our new members!" She grabbed a massive jug of what looked like beer, but was in fact pumpkin juice and rose it to the ceiling with the team's battle cry: "What do Gryffindors do?!"

"Roar!" answered the whole team.

"What do Gryffindors do?!" she screamed louder.

"Roar!" answered everyone at the table.

She turned her wand to her throat and spelling herself to announce to the whole school: "WHAT DO GRYFFINDORS DO?!"

And the answer this time invited the whole table and some of the Professors, including Headmistress McGonagall herself to join in with a resounding and earthshaking: ROAR! The chaos ensued; jugs and glasses were smashed rhythmically against the wood, some of the students held strange whistles to their mouths that upon blowing imitated a lion's roar; Abby who had zero interest in Quidditch, until that very moment, got caught in the frenzy and chant along. She crossed looks with Charlie who was laughing and chanting right next to her, neither could believe they were a legitimate part of this beautiful madness.

Eventually one of the teachers nudged the Headmistress and she came back to her recurrent stern person and the realization that she was supposed to be impartial to all the Houses, so she recomposed herself and clapped her hands once, and that once was quite enough because it was such a thunderous clap it silenced the Hall.

Once the excitement dialed down the windows opened letting the owls carrying the post in. From the infinite list of magical happenings Abby had grown use to by now, she hoped she'd never shake the wonder of these beautiful animals flying through the air with their cargo. She looked up to admire their wings and caught a golden glimpse of her own silly owl dipping towards her.

The only benefit of working in the bookstore last summer was saving enough to buy her owl Snitch. The moment she saw the little thing flapping around furiously from perch to perch in the store, she knew they were meant to be. And every time she dived catching the light, she confirmed that feeling and smiled; this time was no different. Snitch dropped the Daily Prophet right next to her plate, and circled back to her shoulder, gawking to demand the crickets she knew Abby carried around for her. Once fed, Snitch pecked lightly her owner's cheek and went on with her flight, bumping into a huge barn owl that squeaked back, before going out the window.

By the time Abby's attention came back to the newspaper and her breakfast, Charlotte was already reading it and stealing a triangle of toast with jam. It was very regular by now that her friend momentarily stole her paper to skim through, and permanently stole part of her breakfast.

Charlotte hold the newspaper with her left hand, the cover of the paper turned to Abby while she devoured more toast with jam with her right hand. This morning's headline read:

" **Nefertiti's Tumb saved by the Ministry's Cursebreakers"**

Something prickled in the back of Abby's mind, the same way it had when she chose her wand, when she got sorted in Gryffindor, and when she got on the Dueling platform for the first time; a magical gut feeling.

Abby tried to read the article tilting her head almost horizontally while Charlotte passed through the pages, until her friend roll it and gave it back just in time to avoid neck pain. The lioness little fingers greedily opened it directly on the page. Usually, Aurors and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement were the headliners, reason why Abby hadn't heard of Cursebreakers before that very moment.

The article told the story of the discovery of the Tomb of Nefertiti, an ancient Egiptian Queen whose final resting place used to be one of the Nile's great mysteries. Turns out, archaeologists (both muggle and wizards alike) had been looking for the wrong kind of burial for years. When they found it, it was no pyramid but a palace underground that was as deep as wide. Walls, floors and ceilings, every corner and column decorated with gold, jewels and ceramics that had survived time. Those were the objectives of the muggle band of grave robbers that had sneaked inside the tomb, took what they could and foolishly tried to sell it; until the curses started kicking in basically releasing plagues and famine to whoever had touch anything belonging to Nefertiti's palace. When the decease had begun to spread around, Scientifics had tried to contain it, when they failed; the African Ministry got involved and declared the plague had a magical origin. They called upon the World's greatest magical institutions, and the British Ministry send in the Cursebreakers.

"Charlie! Charlie!"Abby lightly slapped Charlotte's forearm, and when she got her attention asked with widen eyes: "what exactly are the Cursebreakers?"

"Ammh…they're a specialized team of Aurors, they're like the analytical unit. When something, somewhere or someone is cursed or hexed beyond the regular magical ability, usually involving pretty powerful dark magic, they are called in to deal with it. Why?"

She shook her head. "I'll explain later." And dive back into reading; ignoring the confused whisper of her friend "….okaay?"

The majority of the newspaper was occupied by a play-by-play report on how the Cursebreakers had managed to retrieve the stolen objects, dispel their power and ultimately saved thousands of lives, bringing honor and glory to the British Ministry. She could see that it was all very propaganda-like and probably a dramatized highly exaggerated retelling of events but she was inspired, and if the Cursebreakers had done half of what it said, she may have found her calling.

This is why she ran to find one of the two people who could tell her exactly how to become a Cursebreaker. She found neither, so she had to go to the third best option: Arty Crouch.


End file.
